Summer Neighbor
by N.V.9
Summary: 4 boys make one bad choice that could possibly be the best one they ever made. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

**1**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

"Guys it's the start of the summer before we enter high school, what are we going to do?" Kiba asked as they rode their bikes down by the lake.

"What do people normally do in the summer?" Neji asked, slowing his bike to a stop and gazing at the lake, the others pulling in beside him.

"Already the first day and we have nothing." Sasuke groaned, annoyed. He could only imagine how the rest of it would go.

"This is stupid." Kiba growled, getting off his bike and walking toward the lake. "We come here every summer and this is boring. We're going to be in highschool now! We can't be seen coming to a place for kids!"

"That would ruin any reputation we wish to gain." Gaara agreed, crossing his arms over his handle bars.

"Then let's go before someone see us." Kiba said running back to his bike and taking off before the others could say anything.

"Why are we friends with him again?" Neji asked, picking up speed. Closing his eyes for a moment, he grinned. He almost felt like he was flying. One day he'd like to fly. He'd like to be a polite and not...

"Because he won't leave us alone." Gaara smirked.

Sasuke turned his face away to hide his own grin.

"I heard that!" Kiba shouted over his shoulder.

"Lets go down this way." Neji pointed to a trail that led into the woods surrounding the lake. "We never been in there before. Let's check it out."

"I always wanted to go in." Sasuke admitted.

"Then let's go." Gaara decided, turning his bike down the dirt road. The others turned their own and followed him in. The farther they went in the darker it seemed to get.

"Guys, this is lame." Kiba said trying to sound brave.

"Yeah it's like it never ends." Neji agreed quickly. No way was he going to admit he was scared. Why did he even suggest this in the first place? He was a Hyuuga, he was supposed to be smart.

"Then go back." Sasuke continued on, the adventure being too much for him to say no to. "I want to see where this goes."

"So do I." Gaara said following the raven.

"I'm not going to be left behind." Kiba added as his voice shook a little. "No way."

Neji bit his lip and groaned. This place gave him the creeps but if he left and Kiba stayed, they'd laugh at him until the day he died. He wasn't going to be known as a chicken. Taking a breath he picked up speed as the first two seemed to get farther away.

"Come on Kiba, don't be scared." Neji said smirking.

"I'm not scared." Kiba glared. If not for the fear in his eyes, he would have put a dog to shame.

"Hurry up!" Sasuke called from in front of them. Kiba and Neji just looked at one another and nodded.

It seemed like forever before they found the other two boys standing by their bikes. Each looking toward the giant house in the middle of the clearing.

"Wow." Kiba said in aw gazing at the white house. "I didn't even know this was here."

"It looks empty." Sasuke said walking forward.

"Where are you going?" Frowning at his friend, Neji stayed glued to his bike, one leg resting against the ground to keep from falling.

"I want to see if anyone lives here."

"Me too." Gaara added not wanting to be outdone by Sasuke. There was no way the raven was braver then he was. He and Sasuke had a bit of rivalry going and everything could decide the victor in any given circumstance.

"Wait guys!" Kiba whispered fiercly as the others turned. "What if a murderer lives here?"

"Yeah, who knows what kind of person owns this." Neji quickly agreed.

"Then we will run. Let's go see." Sasuke said smirking at his friend. "Come on scaredy cats." he mocked.

"I'm not scared!" Kiba and Neji yelled together. Squaring their shoulders they stomped up to the other boys on the porch. Only when they all stood by the door did they all gulp. Each looking at the other to get them to knock.

"Well?" Neji asked arrogantly, smirking because he was in the back and couldn't reach out to knock.

All the other boys turned a glare on him. Finally Gaara took a deep breath and did the honors. Reaching out slowly he lowered his hand and then knocked as hard as he could.

"Looks like no ones here. Lets go." Kiba grinned in relief and turned toward their bikes.

"Wait," Sasuke stopped him, a hand on his shoulder as he turned the knob, "it's open."

"You can't just walk into someone's house." Neji hissed in shock.

"Look around, this place looks empty. There isn't even a car or anything. The trail we came on looks like the only one to here and it's not big enough for a car." Sasuke said pushing the door open.

"It has to be abandon." Gaara added as he entered the building behind Sasuke. Neji slowly made his way inside followed by Kiba who clutched onto the back of his shirt without meaning to, not that Neji seemed to notice.

"Wow, look at this stuff." Sasuke gaped into a room with a bunch of ancient looking things. "This has to be older then Itachi." He grinned, reaching out and picking up a bored game that had seen better days. Putting it back he walked farther in to the room.

"Looks like whoever lived here just left all of this." Kiba said forgetting his fear and reaching for a game system. "This looks like it's from the 90's. I bet it's worth something. Look at it, it's in good condition."

"Hey check this out. I found a box of records." Gaara said holding a flat box up. "I think my dad used to listen to this stuff."

"Since no one's living here, why not just take what we can and come back for more later?" Kiba said rummaging through another box. "It's not like anyone's been in here for like ever."

"Finders keepers?" Neji asked, opening a book filled with cut outs about a band of some kind.

"Losers weepers." Sasuke finished, going through another box. "I bet Itachi would like this." He said holding up some odd looking painting. "he like's weird things."

The others laughed at the funny looking picture in a frame. "What is that?" Gaara asked not seeing the object.

"I don't know, but it's stupid." Sasuke said grinning.

"That's what Sora said when he saw it. Sai just about killed him." a voice called from the doorway. All four boys jumped and turned around to gaze at the shadow standing there, blocking the only door. When the shadow moved to the right, they could feel their hearts stop in fear.

Then they all started blinking as a light went on. "So may I ask what you're doing with Sai's painting?" the tall blonde asked holding a cane with one hand on his right side. The other hand on his hip. He looked to be in his thirties, no older then that. Way too young to be using a cane.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked taking the lead. No way was a murderer going to take him without a fight. And no way was he going to let him see his fear. Pulling on his biggest glare he watched the older blonde. He was an attractive man, with a full set of golden hair, but he looked like he should have been filled out more and not so thin.

"No one but the man who owns this place." The blonde answered with a grin.

"We thought it was abandon." Neji confessed, standing arrogantly, slightly guilty for touching this man's belongings.

"Yeah we knocked but no one answered." Kiba said scowling.

"It's kind of hard to move down the stairs with a bad leg and a cane." The blonde chuckled, walking into the room. "Tell me, do you rob every house that doesn't open their door?"

"We weren't robbing." Gaara lied. His face going blank.

"You weren't?" the blond questioned, "My mistake then." He added coming to stand by a shivering Kiba. Reaching down slowly, he grabbed a black book that looked about 12" tall and 10" wide. "I'll take this." Turning around, he limped back out, heading farther into the house, "You can have whatever you want." he offered over his shoulder as he disappeared around the corner.

The boys listened to the soft thump of the cane and footsteps as they faded slowly.

"He's not going to stop us?" Kiba gaped, confused on what to do now.

"Or call the cops?" Neji asked walking toward the doorway and looking toward the way the blonde went.

"He's giving us this?" Gaara asked surprised going to stand beside Neji.

"I wonder what he's up to." Sasuke said walking past the two and headed down the now lit hallway. "Come on."


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

Sasuke walked around another corner. Stopping by the door way he watched the blonde man open the fridge and pull out a gallon of milk, placing it next to the cookies already on the table.

"Are you going to glare all day or come in?" the man asked going to the cupboard and getting out five glasses.

"Why aren't you calling the cops?" Sasuke asked, pulling out a chair to the round table and sitting down. Gaara sat to his right, Neji to his left and Kiba beside Neji.

"Why would I?" The blonde asked pulling out the last chair and sitting by Gaara and Kiba, pouring milk into the glasses and passing them around. "Dig in."

"Because we broke into your house." Sasuke said, reaching for a chocolate chip cookie still warm and gooey.

"I see, so I should call the police because of this?" the blonde asked resting his elbows on the book in front of him.

"Well, yeah it's what a normal person would do." Kiba said stuffing his mouth.

"Kiba, you animal." Neji scolded embarrassed by his friend.

"Don't worry about it. I've seen worse. I'm Naruto Uzumaki by the way." the blonde said grinning.

"I'm Neji, this poor excuse for a human, is Kiba. That's Gaara and Sasuke is the one that looks emo."

"I'm not emo!" Sasuke glared.

"You're right," Kiba swallowed his cookie and took a drink of his milk, "Gaara is. Sasuke's the vampire."

"Kiba!" Sasuke and Gaara both glared as Naruto laughed.

"You kids reminding me of my friends."

"You had a friend like that?" Sasuke asked surprised pointing to Kiba. "I thought he was a mistake the world made and forgot to take back."

"Hey!" Kiba growled.

"Yes I had a friend almost like him. Wouldn't know manners if it introduced itself." Naruto said gazing down at the book with a smile.

"Why aren't you going to turn us in?" Gaara asked taking a sip of his milk.

"Again I ask, why?" Naruto asked confused.

"Because, it's the natural thing to do." Neji explained as if talking to a small child.

"Is it now? Hmm, never heard of that." Naruto said pretending to think. "I've heard a lot of things in my thirty-two years but never that. Must have missed that course in school."

"You're seriously not going to call the cops?" Kiba asked unable to let it go.

"No. Boys will be boys. Besides all that stuff in this house is just a memory." Naruto said taking a bite of his own cookie. "I don't need it."

"Wow you must be one in a million." Kiba said grinning with chocolate smears all over his face. Naruto grinned and reached behind him to grab napkins.

"Thanks." Kiba said blushing as he cleaned his face.

"Of course." Naruto smiled again.

"Don't you care that we were, you know…" Neji asked trailing off.

"Not really, figure this is payback from my days as a teen." Naruto laughed.

"What did you do?" Kiba asked.

"What didn't we do? Me and my friends... We did everything. There wasn't anything we weren't going to do. We figured we were only young once, might as well enjoy it."

"Where are your friends?" Gaara asked.

Naruto sighed and gazed down at the black book again. His face turning sad before he grinned, "Somewhere better then here."

"What's in the book?" Sasuke said finally letting his curiosity get the better of him, "You keep looking at it."

"This book…. This book is all that I have left." Naruto said gently running a hand down the warn cover. "It's the only thing in life I'll ever need."

"What's in it?" Kiba asked looking for a title.

"Memories worth keeping." Naruto said blinking quickly.

"Can we see?" Kiba asked excitedly, at the same time wondering what could be in there that Naruto wouldn't want to give up.

"Kiba!" Neji hissed elbowing the boy.

"It's okay I don't mind." Naruto said moving the cookies and milk to the side. Putting the book in the center he opened the first page. Inside was a picture of seven people sitting on the front steps of the house they were now in. Each had their arm wrapped around the person next to them. "These are my friends."

"Who are they?" Sasuke asked looking at the old picture.

"That's Sai." Naruto said pointing, "He was our artist, that painting you had earlier was his attempt while drunk, but since it was art he wanted to keep it."

"He's pale." Kiba said.

"Yeah, he was our own vampire. He couldn't tan even if we tossed him in the sun."

"And this person?" Gaara asked pointing to the next person next to Sai. "Why is Sai frowning at him and this one grinning?"

"Sora. He enjoyed making Sai's life hell. He said he wanted to keep him on his toes. Sora was our own animal, well right along with me. Both of us could get into so much trouble and walk away with just a slap on the wrist. A gift." Naruto explained at their confusion. "That's me if you couldn't tell."

"Who's that girl practically sitting on you?" Neji asked.

"She's cute." Kiba added.

"She is cute, I give you that, but she was a she devil. Ino was the one that usually got Sora and me into all the trouble. Of course, we didn't care because at the time we were trying to get her to like us."

"She seems like she chose you." Sasuke stated.

"In the end, it was my charm that captured her heart. Sora just about killed me because of it. Good times." Naruto said laughing.

"Who's next to her?" Neji asked.

"That's Kimimaro. He was our scary friend."

"Hey Gaara, he was you." Kiba said jokingly.

"Not funny." Gaara glared.

"What was he like?" Neji asked before the two could start fighting.

"Kimimaro? He was our over protective brother I guess you could say. Everyone was afraid to mess with us because they were afraid he'd kick their butts. He was another reason we got away with so much stuff. This next to him is Haku. He was are very cautious kind genius. He was also not afraid to tell you what he thought and gave as good as he got. He was like our mom, I guess you could say. He looked out for us and if you needed a shoulder to cry on, his was always there."

"Neji, he must be related to you." Kiba said smirking.

"The last guy in there is Kabuto. Very quiet. He actually had a plan in life. The rest of us just lived it. He was smart. Insulting, superior complex, and the best friend anyone could ever have."

"So what happened to them?" Sasuke asked looking at Naruto.

"Life." Naruto said closing the book before Kiba could flip to the next page.

"I wanted to see more pictures." Kiba whined.

"Maybe later kid. It's getting late, shouldn't you be getting home?" Naruto asked gazing out the window. "Do you need a ride?"

"On what, air?" Sasuke said rolling his eyes.

"No, as fun as that may be, I actually have a car."

"Where?" Kiba asked looking around the room as if he'd see it in there.

"In the garage behind the house. There's a road that leads around the lake and into town." Naruto said laughing and rubbing Kiba's hair. Standing up he reached for the gallon of milk only to have Gaara get it and put it away for him.

"Thanks." Naruto said as Gaara got the cookies and put them in the fridge to as he nodded.

"So do you need a ride?" Naruto asked again.

"We came on our bikes." Neji said pushing in his chair and taking the empty glasses to the sink. "If we come back, will you tell us about them?" Neji asked pointing at the book.

"I suppose, if you want to hear about them." Naruto said nodding.

"Then we'll be back next Saturday." Kiba said grinning.

"Okay." Naruto said grinning. "I'd like that."

Walking them to the door he stood on the porch with the cane resting between his hands. "Be safe kids." Naruto said waving them off. "If you want, you can come back any day you feel like it. It's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon."

"Okay." Kiba said waving and taking off.

"Good-bye Mr. Uzumaki." Neji said.

"Naruto, call me Naruto."

"Okay. Bye Naruto." Neji said gracing him with a small smile before taking off.

"Bye Neji."

"Good-bye." Sasuke said, "Thank you for the cookies and, you know…"

"Bye Sasuke, and no problem."

Sasuke grinned and took off.

"Naruto?" Gaara asked sitting on his bike."Yes?"

"Did Kimimaro ever feel afraid?" Gaara asked quietly.

"Only when it was something worth fearing, Gaara." Naruto said smiling softly at the young boy. Gaara nodded and was about to take off when Naruto spoke again, "If you ever need a place to escape to, I always found that the swing in the back was always the best place to go."

"Okay." Gaara said smiling, "Bye Naruto."

"Good-bye Gaara." Naruto said. He stood there long after the boys disappeared around the bend. "Guys, it's almost like I'm seeing you again." he said grinning at the night sky. "Lets hope this time, they get farther then any of us did." he added turning around and making his way slowly into his home.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

Naruto was exhausted. All morning he had spent cleaning up his yard. A process made longer by the bad pain in his hip causing him to limp everywhere. When would it go away?

Taking another breath to ease the stiffening muscles in his back and shoulders, Naruto huffed. He hated yard work, but he couldn't stand to see this house fall apart or look abandon. This was their place. Their refugee. It was their home.

Reaching down slowly to pick up the pile of sticks and broken twigs he raked up, he heard the sound of laughter. Looking to his left he recognized the four bikes making their way toward him. Has it been a week already? "Hey Naruto!" Kiba yelled jumping off his bike and letting it lay were it landed.

"Kiba." Naruto smiled, slowly standing up. "How've you guys been?"

"Good, what are you doing?" Kiba said.

"Yard work." Naruto wrinkled his nose, "Someone has to do it, and that someone is me." he sighed.

"Need help?" Neji asked picking up Kiba's bike to stand beside his.

"It's alright, summers up and about, who would force teenagers to do house work?" Naruto said looking around. So far he had raked up the twigs and sticks he had cut off from the trees surrounding his property. Now all he had to do was pile the stuff to be picked up Monday morning with the rest of his garbage, mow the yard, water his plants Ino had planted along time ago. Clean out the weeds… maybe he should have done that before he raked. Ino planted a lot of plants… great more work. And this was just the front yard.

"We don't mind. We're forced to do it at home anyway." Sasuke said bringing the red wheelbarrow to Naruto and picking up the pile.

"Sasuke you don't have to," Naruto started reaching out to stop him. "Ouch," he flinched when that small fast movement pinched a very painful nerve.

"You okay?" Gaara asked watching him. The other three stopped picking up the pile and waited for his response.

"Yeah," Naruto said closing his eyes, willing the pain to go away. "Moved to fast."

"Is it your leg?" Kiba asked quietly putting more sticks into the wheelbarrow.

"Sometimes. Don't worry about it, it'll go away." Naruto grinned showing them it was already fading. "I'm just an old man in a thirty-two year old body." he joked.

Kiba grinned, the others nodded accepting his excuse but not pressing him. He was glad for that.

"I'm thirsty." Gaara said suddenly.

Naruto blinked but nodded. "Okay let me get you guys some water."

"Do you have lemonade?" Gaara asked stopping Naruto again.

"I can make some."

"Okay." Gaara watched Naruto walk slowly inside his house.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked annoyed, "You can't just order him around. It's rude."

"He's in too much pain, he's just hiding it. Making lemonade is simpler for him to do. We can do this for him." Gaara explained. The others thought about this and nodded. He was right.

"Come on then, we have a lot of work." Neji said looking around, making a mental list of things they needed to do. "We should have brought Sakura. She likes flowers."

"I'll do them, my mom makes me help her." Sasuke said already picking up the tools he needed to get started, "If word gets out I know how to do this, I'll kill you guys." He threatened, getting nods from each of the three.

"I'll get started in the back, come on Kiba." Gaara said already moving to the back. "Neji?"

"I'll finish this."

When Naruto came out twenty minutes later, he couldn't believe it took him twenty minutes to make lemonade, he found his front yard pretty much spotless. Placing the tray on the porch he looked around until his gaze landed on Sasuke."Sasuke, where are the others?"

"In the back. Neji went to help them, what do you think?" He asked moving out of the way so Naruto could see his work. He didn't know why but he felt nervous just showing him.

"Ino would be proud. Looks like she just planted them herself." Naruto said smiling. In his mind he could see the blonde girl laughing at his and Sora's poor attempts at plowing the dirt. She wouldn't let them touch her flowers though. They were her babies.

Sasuke grinned, Naruto's words filling him up with pride. With Naruto he didn't feel the embarrassment he would have felt if his brother saw him willingly working on a garden. He would admit that he liked doing this anyway.

"Okay the stuff is all in piles back there, but we don't know where to dump the wheelbarrow." Neji's voice came around the corner, with Kiba and Gaara behind him. All three boys had dirt all over their clothes but the grins on their faces told Naruto they didn't mind working.

"Okay. I'll do that later."

"No, we will do it." Kiba said grinning. "Wow, I normally hate yard work of any kind but this is sort of fun. Maybe it's because I'm with my friends and I'm doing it willing but I'm not complaining."

"That's good, I hate when you complain. You sound like a fat cat all out of food." Sasuke said smirking.

"What is it with the insults? All day today, you've guys been giving me crap." Kiba said glaring.

"Maybe it's because most of the insults are ones you deserve." Neji said taking the glass Naruto handed him. "this is good." he said taking another gulp.

"Thank you. Kimimaro's secret recipe. Gave it to me when I finally annoyed him to his snapping point. Fun times." Naruto laughed. "So how've you boys been since I last saw you?"

"Good." Kiba said. Sasuke and Gaara nodded. Neji sighed but nodded anyways.

"Something up Neji?"

"No…. maybe."

"It's his dad. He's trying to dictate Neji's life again." Kiba said holding his cup out to be refilled again. "Thank you."

"Do you need to talk?" Naruto asked.

Neji shook his head but found himself saying, "It's my dad, he already has my life planned out. From the grades I'll get to the college I'll go to. He even has the type of girl I'll marry to how many kids I'll have."

"Not to mention what type of work he's going to do." Kiba said.

"Or where he's going to live." Sasuke said.

"Every last detail." Neji said sighing softly.

"That sounds a lot like Kabuto."

"Kabuto?" Neji asked, seeing the picture of the guy pop into his head.

"Yeah, hold on I'll be back." Five minutes later Naruto returned with the black album. Flipping to one of the pages, Naruto turned it to him. Kabuto sat all by himself surrounded by books and paper. His face showing surprise as if the person taking the picture just called his name. "Kabuto. Remember how I said he had his life planned out? Well it wasn't his plan he was living. It was his father's."

"What did he do?" Neji asked trying to see this other kid in his shoes.

"What any kid would do. Followed what was expected of him until he decided he no longer wanted it..."


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Kabuto sighed as he finished yet another book his Father gave him. He must be the only fifteen year old reading encyclopedia after encyclopedia about anything important that involved becoming a doctor. Even at such a young age he was already up to date with college material.

"Kabuto." His Father called from his doorway.

"Yes Father?" Kabuto asked looking up from the pile of books. He only had five more to go before he was done for the day.

"Have you finished your studies?"

"No Father, I have a few more books to get to. I do have the reports and the written pages you wanted done today." Kabuto said gathering the neat stack of papers at the right corner of his desk. "Here they are."

His Father nodded as he grabbed the papers and skimmed them before nodding. "Good, take a break Kabuto."

"Excuse me?" Kabuto said unsure if he heard right.

His Father smiled as he looked up from one of the papers. "I need you to relax your brain. I can't have you overworking yourself before you become a doctor."

"I see..." Kabuto said. What was he supposed to do? He'd never had a day free of study. He went to school, he studied, he came hom,e he did his work his Father gave him. He never had a day off. What was he supposed to do?

"Hm... Kabuto while you are out for today I want you to stop by the book store and pick up the new books I've ordered for you. I trust you will start them as soon as you come home?"

So he wasn't getting a break he was just going out to get more books to look over. "Yes Father." Kabuto said fixing everything on his desk neatly.

"Good. Don't forget to sharpen your pencils." His father advised walking out and mummering under his breath as he looked through Kabuto's papers.

"Yes Father." Kabuto whispered doing as he was told. When everything was done and in perfect order, Kabuto grabbed his wallet and his shoes before heading out.

S N

The sun shown brightly on his back as he exited his home. In fact it felt so good to feel the sun without a window blocking it. Walking down the steps he saw the limo being brought around. So much for a natural breeze or a walk he thought.

Twenty minutes later, the limo pulled to a stop. "We're here Master Kabuto." The driver said, opening the door for him.

"Thank you."  
"Should I wait for you?"

"No, I'll be a while." Kabuto said with a small sense of rebellion going through him. His Father gave him a break for the day, he might as well use it. With a sigh he changed his mind, "Actually it'll only take a few minutes." it wouldn't do to get on his Father's bad side. Afterall, the man only wanted his son to be as well off as he was in life.

"Yes sir." the driver said and took his place beside the limo. Kabuto nodded and turned toward the building that no one his age should be entering.

"I'm here to pick up an order for Orochimaru." Kabuto said, knowing his Father put the books under his name.

"Alright just give me one second... here we are." the woman said, ringing them up. As soon as Kabuto finished paying, he left the store with two bags, six books in each. There goes his whole summer. Not that he ever had one to begin with. His Gather was the best doctor in the world right along side his Aunt Tsunade. His Father wanted him to be the next best doctor in the world. Kabuto wanted... to make his Father happy.

"Hey watch out!" some shouted before they collided with Kabuto sending the bags and their items everywhere.

"Sir are you alright?" His driver asked running to his side.

"I think so." Kabuto said sitting up.

"Sorry man, I didn't mean to run you over like that." The blonde boy his age said gathering the books in a way that made Kabuto cringe. These books were ruined. The covers would never be the same again. His Fatherr was going to be really angry now, great.

"Naruto you idiot! I told you not to go down hill, you're not that good on a skateboard!" another boy said coming to stop beside them. "Sorry man, he's an idiot. You good?" He asked holding a hand out for Kabuto.

"Yes." Kabuto said dusting his clothes off when he stood up, ignoring the hand offered. "Can't say the same for my books."

"I'll pay for them. How much are they... I have fourty-nine bucks." Naruto said holding out the money.

"Wonderful, that's not even enough for a down payment." Kabuto said. "Could you put these in the car?" he asked his driver that quickly did his biding.

"What? How much are they?" the other boy asked surprised.

"More then both of your allowances put together for a year." Kabuto said getting into the limo.

"Hey don't you know the rule?" Naruto asked.

"What rule?"

"The rule where it says you can't insult or be rude to someone unless you know them."

"Never heard of such a thing. Now if you_ idiots _will excuse me I have studies to get back to."

"But it's summer!" the other boy said.

"So I've notice." with a nod the driver closed the door.

"I'm Naruto!" The blonde yelled through the glass. "This is Sora. Who are you?"  
Kabuto rolled down the window and sighed. "Kabuto."

"Good now we know eachother." Naruto grinned and got back on the skate board. "Sora I bet I can beat you to the park!"  
"As if loser! You can barely make it down the hill!" Sora yelled taking off.

Kabuto turned in his seat to watch the two teens joke and race down the sidewalk. For a fleeting second he wished he was one of them.

Hours later, he wished he wasn't home. When his Father had seen the conditions of the books, he wasn't happy. Infact Kabuto had a red mark on his cheek from the back hand slap that happened as soon as he got home. Now his Father had him locked in the room with no dinner, kneeling on his knees in the middle of his room repeating over and over, "Never again shall I destroy that which my father has bought to feed my mind." two hours of kneeling and only one more to go.

S N

Kabuto sat in the library going over his ruined books. Every few seconds he'd take down notes or make a copy of a paragraph. Just because his books were destroyed did not mean he could write in them. His Father was completely agaisnt that. He did not need another kneeling session. His knees hurt at just the thought of three hours again.

"So I was like 'I don't think so man, I was here first and I'm not leaving.' and then he goes, 'bull, move or I'll force you.'" someone said as they walked on the other side of the bookshelf. Why did Kabuto decided to study at the puplic library? People like that would never give him the peace he needed to study and pass the test his Father was already planning for him.

"So is that how you got the black eye?" someone laughed.

"No, I got this from the other guy there. Humped me from behind." the first said laughing along. Why would anyone laugh about getting jumped? Kabuto wondered.

"So what happened to them?"

"I got the first guy off me and kicked him in the nuts, I know low blow, but it had to be done. So thats when the other guy got me by surprise and- Hey it's Kabuto." at the sound of his name Kabuto looked up and blinked at the flash. When he could finally see he realized it was Sora and Naruto the latter of the two supporting a black eye and a few bruises on his cheek and his arms. Why was he proudly showing off marks that were a disgrace to anyone?

"Hey Kab, what are you doing in a library?" Sora asked pulling out a seat to sit across from him and sticking the camera in his pocket.

"I could ask the same of you." Kabuto said going back to his books.

"Dude, you make me feel old being around you." Naruto said reading the titles, "I can't even pronounce these titles."

"That's beause you're stupid." Sora snickered.

"Says Skaterboy who almost got beat by a girl yesterday." Naruto laughed.

"She was the size of a tree!" Sora protested. "I thought she was a guy!"

"Still shouldn't have said that sexist joke." Naruto chuckled. "So Kab what's up? Why are you always studying?"

"It's Kabuto not Kab."  
"Sure, sure... so why are you studying?" Naruto asked waving the issue of Kabuto's name away.

"Because I have to prepare for my future." Kabuto said proudly.

"How old are you?" Sora asked trying to read the title of one of the books.

"Fifteen why?" Kabuto asked taking the book out of Sora's hand.

"Because you sound like your forty." Sora grinned.

"Why because I'm doing book work in the summer?" Kabuto demanded, his annoyance turning to anger. Were they laughing at him?

"Yes and because you seem way too uptight to be anything else. Relax, that's what the summer is for." Sora said relaxing into his own wooden chair. "Or not, these chairs hurt like-"  
"Sora we are in a library no cursing." Naruto scolded sounding like he was mimicking someone.

"Yes, Iruka Sensei." Sora said saluting causing both boys to break out laughing.

"This is a library, I'm surprised you haven't gotten kicked out." Kabuto smirked at them.

"That's cause they love us, don't they Naruto?" Sora said with a smack to the back of said blonde's head.

"Of course Sora." Naruto said punching him in the arm.

"If you boys are not going to respect the rules I will ask all of you to leave now." A librarian said coming to stand and glare above them.

"Aw come one we were just messin-" Sora started only to stop at the librarian's finger pointing to the door. "Fine, we're leaving." Sora grumbled with his head down and hands in his pockets.

"We were only trying to get smarter." Naruto pouted following Sora. Kabuto hid his grin as he bent back toward his books.

"Young man I asked you boys to leave." The librarian said. Kabuto looked around to see who she was talking to, then realized it was him.

"But I'm studying." Kabuto said shocked. She was kicking _him_ out?

"As where they, now I will not ask again." she said. Kabuto opened and closed his mouth a few times before he realized she was serious. Gathering his stuff slowly he placed everything in his bag and headed out the door.

"Hey Kabuto!" Naruto yelled jumping on his back. "She kick you out to?"

"No thanks to you!" Kabuto glared pushing him off. "It's both of your faults."  
"How is it our fault?" Sora asked picking at his ear.

"If it wasn't for you, I'd still be allowed in there. Now where am I supposed to study!" Kabuto demanded.

Naruto and Sora looked at one another before shrugging. "It's summer you don't study." Naruto finally said.

"I do!" Kabuto hissed.

"Why?" Sora asked throwing an arm around Naruto's shoulders and smacking him on the face. Naruto glared and threw his elbow into Sora's side causing the other boy to gasp and bend over.

"Imbecials." Kabuto huffed turning away.  
"Wait!" Naruto yelled running after him. "Where are you going?"  
"To study." Kabuto said thinking of any place open on a Sunday that would let a teenager in to study.

"Why are you studying?" Naruto said laughing as he dodged Sora's attack. "To slow Jack!"  
"Just wait Naruto your time is coming!" Sora said laughing.

"Whatever loser!" Naruto yelled back. "So Kab what's the deal with studying?"

"It's Kabuto! And I'm studying because one day I'm going to be a doctor. One as great as my Father."

"Sounds boring!" Sora said walking backward. "Is that what you really want to do?"  
"Of course it is," Kabuto said rolling his eyes. "Why wouldnt I?"

"I don't know, it sounds like either A; you want to be seen in the eyes of your father, or B; he's making you be a doctor." Naruto said waving at some kid who nodded back.

"Wrong on both accounts." Kabuto said, "I want to be a doctor because it's family tradition. It's my future. I want to be a doctor because it's something I wanted ever since I was a kid."

"Or your dad got it stuck in your head to be a doctor because he was a doctor." Sora said then clapped his hands together. "Lets go hang out at the arcade!"

"YES!" Naruto said throwing his fist into the air. "Come on Kab, live a little. Let's go have fun."

"I have to-"

"Hang out with us!" Sora interrupted him pulling on his arms. "What's two hours of fun compared to a whole summer of 'yawn' studying? Nothing so lets go."

Kabuto tried protesting but in the end gave up. It seemed these two morons were going to force him to go whether he wanted to or not. He just hoped his Father wouldn't find out.

Four hours later of joking and gooffing off and acting like a teenager, Kabuto returned to the library with his new friends to find the limo waiting. Saying good bye to his friends he got in and froze.

"Kabuto please tell me why you weren't home an hour ago like you were supposed to be." His Father asked as he sat stiffly on the other side of the limo.

"I was with friends." Kabuto said looking down.  
"Where these friends helping you study?" his Father demanded, gaining no answer in return. "No, where were you?"

"I was at the arcade." Kabuto said stiffly not daring to look up.

"You were supposed to be studying!" Orochimaru screamed. "Have you been lying to me this whole time! Saying you are going to the library to study only to go and act like a childish boy!"

"No!" Kabuto yelled back and then gulped. Did he just yell at his Father? From the shock on his Father's face he knew he screwed up.

"Kabuto," His Father said with lack of emotion. "Let's go home. You have a test I've prepare for you when we get there." Kabuto nodded and sat back. Holding back his tears so his father wouldn't see how much it hurt. Kabuto knew he should regret going to the arcade, but he couldn't. His only regret was he was never going to be allowed to do it again.

S N

"Kabuto!" Naruto grinned from his window.

Getting up quickly Kabuto made his way to his window and opened it, letting both Naruto and Sora to crawl awkwardly in. "What are you guys doing here?" Kabuto asked, "And how did you get to the third floor? How did you know this was my window?"

"We haven't seen you for like ever." Sora said looking around, "Who lives here, your grandpa?"

"No this is my room. How did you guys get here?"

"Really? It looks so... old and cold." Naruto said, "Is that a frame of doctor stuff?"

"Yes. You guys if my Father finds you in here-"

"Don't worry about it we're sneaky." Sora grinned. "You know it took forever to find this place, you never gave us a last name to go on."

"Then when we found this place we looked at all the windows to find which one was yours. Tus days!" Naruto said dramatically flopping on Kabuto's bed. "Your Father looks scary."

"What are you doing here?" Kabuto asked again.

"We came to bust you out!" Naruto jumped up and headed toward the window again. "You need a life and we want to give it to you. Sora and I found this place that's so cool looking over by the lake. You should go see it!"

"I can't I have to-"

"Study, yes we know, but this would only take a few hours. Your dad wouldn't even know you were gone." Sora said pulling on his arms, "Come on it'll be fun!"

Kabuto thought about this. His Father wouldn't be back for a few had to surgeries he was going to do today, three back to back, in fact... and he really wanted to go. "Okay."

A half hour later, the three biked up an old path, beside the giant lake that no one really went to.

"I can't believe no one comes here!" Sora yelled. "This place is amazing!"

"I know right?" Naruto grinned jumping his bike over a rock.

"Where are we going?" Kabuto asked using the borrowed bike of Naruto's friend, Haku who'd he had yet to meet.

"To this abandon house. We're thinking of fixing it and making it our hang out place. Haku's figuring things out for us."

"Figuring out what?" Kabuto asked out of breath. He was never really one for exersie. Sure he did do his daily workout, as his Father demanded, a sound mind needs a sound body, but he never biked this much before.

"How much it's going to cost us to fix it up and stuff." Sora said.  
"Do you own the property?" Kabuto asked.

"Nope but Haku found out that no one does. So finders keepers and all that." Naruto laughed. "Here we are!" he yelled happily stopping his bike. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a dump." Kabuto said honestly. The place had no windows or doors. Glass littered the floor and weeds grew everywhere. That wasnt even half of it. "Is it even safe to go in?"

"Yeah... No... Haku says no but Naruto and I already went in a few times. It's covered in mold and dead things, but it has potential." Sora said getting off of his bike. "So you in?"

"In what?" Kabuto said following them around the house.

"Fixing this place up. Haku is going to help us but he says to hold off going inside until he finds someone who knows what they're doing." Naruto answered.

"I don't know..."

"It'll be cool. Come on Kab please."

"I said... never mind... guys I don't really know how much I can do to help you guys out. I have a strict schedual." Kabuto said surprised he really did want to do work on this place.

"Say no more or my ears will bleed." Sora said clamping his hands tightly over his ears.

"Guys-"

"Just say yes. You don't have to come everyday just whenever you can." Naruto said quickly. "We can always sneak you out and stuff."

"I..." Kabuto looked around and imagined what this place could look like. "Okay. I'll do it." Naruto and Sora whooped and jumped him each giving him a tight hug.

"This is going to be so much fun."

And for the next few weeks it was. Kabuto would sneak out when his Father was going to be away all day. He met Haku who seemed like an older brother to all of them and accepted Kabuto the first day. All four of them got along great and Kabuto felt like he was finally living his life. He got to get dirty and sweat. He went swimming in the lake, had water fights, and he hung out with kids his age, not books.

"Hey someone's coming!" Sora yelled from the roof. Why he was on the roof, no one knew. How he got up there without going through it, was another shocker.

"Sora you're going to fall!" Haku yelled biting his lip.

"Haven't fallen yet!" Sora yelled back. "Naruto you should see this."  
"How did you get up there and I will." Naruto yelled back, looking for a way.  
"You will not!" Haku said shocked.

"Who's coming?" Kabuto asked trying to avoid the natural scene of Haku mothering them and Naruto pouting.

"It's a black car. That's all I can see. Pretty shiny too!" Sora yelled down.

"Black car?" Naruto asked looking at all of them, gaining shrugs.

They all waited until the car came around and pulled to a stop beside them. None knew who the car belonged to, but all were curious. Finally after a few minutes of everyone waiting, the passenger door opened and Orochimaru stepped out.

"Father?"

"So this is where you've been hiding." His Father said angrily. "Kabuto I've been searching everywhere for you! Do you know how worried I was when I came home and you weren't there!"

"Father I'm-"

"It's our fault Kabuto's Father sir!" Naruto said quickly, moving to Kabuto's side. "We kidnapped him and forced him to hang out with us."

"I see it didn't take long to keep him hostage." Orochimaru said lifting a brow. "Kabuto get in the car we're going home."  
"But Father I-"  
"It doesn't matter what you say, we're going. Fet in the car."

Kabuto looked back at his three friends and sighed. Lowering his head he headed to the car.

"Wait Kabuto don't go we're not done!" Sora yelled from the roof. "Come on Kabuto's dad, let him stay!"

"What are you doing on the roof?" Orochimaru demanded, stunned.

"Enjoying the view?" Sora gulped.

"Get down."

"Yes sir." Sora said looking around, "How do I get down?"

"Idiot!" Naruto yelled laughing.

"How did you get up?" Haku asked.

"I don't know, I just did." Sora said sheepishly. "Can you help me down?"

"Don't move." Orochimaru said, looking around for a ladder or something. "Kabuto this is why you study. When you study you don't end up in situations like this." His father scolded him.

Before Kabuto could respond Sora let out a yell as he lost his footing and slid down the roof.

"Sora!" Naruto, Haku, and Kabuto yelled together.

"Hold on, boy!" Orochimaru yelled looking around quickly for something to grab.

"HELP!" Sora cried, "I'm slipping!"

"Don't let go!" Naruto shouted, trying to find a way up to the roof.

"Orochimaru, I think I can catch him." a man said coming out of the car.

"Then catch him!" Orochimaru yelled at him. The man nodded and stood beneath Sora. "Let go kid, I'll catch you!"

"No I'll die!"

"I'm right here I won't let you fall!"  
"You're going to drop me! I'm heavy!"

"I won't drop you!"

"I'm going to break my leg!"  
"Sora just let go!" Haku yelled.

"Fine!" Sora said and let go. His scream cutting off when he landed on the other guy.

"Sora, are you okay?" Naruto asked running to his side with everyone else behind him.

"I think I broke my butt." Sora groaned. Naruto and Kabuto started laughing as everyone else just looked on in surprise.

"You idiot, you shouldnt have been on the roof in the first place." Haku glared.

"Kid get off me." the man beneath him groaned.

"Sorry." Sora said grinning. "Thanks old man."

"Jiraiya not old man." Jiraiya said sitting up.

"Kabuto come lets go home. Jiraiya dust your self off. Boys I suggest you go home."

"No." Kabuto said.

"No?"

"I don't want to go. I want to stay here."

"Excuse me?" his Father said blinking.

"I don't want to leave. I want to stay here." Kabuto said defying his Father for the first time. Why he did it now, he didn't know. Maybe someday in the future he would figure it out, but for now he felt brave enought to to defy him.

"Kabuto-"  
"No Father, I've lived my whole life doing as you wanted me to do. I've studied more then any other kid I know would study, since the day I learned to read. I did everything you wanted me to and now... now I want... I want to live my life and to do something I want to do. I want to fix this place up and have fun with my friends." he finished quietly.

Orochimaru only looked at him but said nothing.

"I've never asked for anything. Please let me have this." Kabuto begged forcing himself to meet his Father's eyes. "Father someone once asked me why I wanted to be a doctor. Was it because I wanted to or because you were making me... the answer is both. Being a doctor would be fun, but I also want to live my life. I'm only fifteen years old, I don't want to waste my teen years behind a book. Please don't take this away from me."

Still his father said nothing. Finally after a life time he said, "Jiraiya lets go. Kabuto be home by dinner. The rest of you stay off the roof." with that he left with Jiraiya right behind him.

"So my plan worked." Sora said grinning.

"What plan?" Naruto asked.

"The plan to give them more time. Did you think I was stupid enough to fall? Please, I knew my way down." Sora said grinning wider.

"So you endangered your life on purpose?" Haku asked innocently.

"Yeah, Kab was about to leave and I had to figure out a way to stop him."  
"Sora... you're so dead for scarying me like that." Haku yelled.

Sora jumped and took off running. "I was being helpful!"

Kabuto and Naruto laughed as they watched their idiot friend run around the yard with Haku behind him.

"Even if it was a stupid thing, he did have the right intentions." Naruto said bumping his shoulder against Kabuto's.

"Yeah." Kabuto said with a small smile. "I just hope my Father doesn't kill me."

"Don't worry, I think things can only get better." Naruto said, "Come on, lets go beat on Sora."  
"Sounds fun." Kabuto said grinning and running after Naruto.

S N

"So what happened?" Neji asked when Naruto finished.

"Well they worked it out. Orochimaru hired a few people to fix the house up for us. He made us promise not to go up on the roof again for any reason, and he and Kabuto came to an agreement."

"What was it?" Kiba asked from his spot on the floor.

"Kabuto said he'd still become a doctor. His reasoning was because he didn't want to let so much time of his studying go to waste. His Father no longer pushed him, he let him live is life the way he wanted on the right side of the law, mind you." Naruto said laughing softly

"So in the end Kabuto did what his father wanted him to." Neji sighed.

"Yes." Naruto said, "and no."

"How is it both?" Gaara asked.

"He became a doctor but not one like his father. Kabuto became a doctor, but not a surgen like his father. He did what he wanted to do. He became a doctor but he also lived his life."

"So what should I do?" Neji asked.

"You should do what you think is best. Kabuto finally made his choice, it took this house to help him make it but he did. He made his Father proud, graduated early, became a doctor and still stayed true to himself. He made a new plan in life."  
"What was it?" Sasuke asked.

"To be what he wanted, to live a life that was his, to show his father that he was still a great doctor even with out all of the studying."

"Still doesn't help me." Neji said.

"How about this, Kabuto once said, 'I can only be true to myself if I live for myself. I will forever try to please my Father, but in the end my Father will still love me no matter what I become.' Does that help?" Naruto smiled.

"In a way it does. I have to think about this." Neji said "I have to get going, it's almost dinner time."

"Wow didn't know how late it was." Kiba said jumping out. "See you later Naruto!" the rest followed his lead and took off.

"Kabuto lets hope your life helps Neji with his." Naruto said gazing down at his friend's picture.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

Naruto had gotten used to seeing the four boys come and go as they wished. In truth he was happy to have to company of all of them. When they were gone he felt the loneliness he always tried to ignore.

Today however none of the boys would be coming.

Sasuke had said his family was going to visit an uncle, that wasn't really an uncle. His explaination on said uncle was a prevy man, with a love of pervy books, who was in town for a few days visiting his cousin, Obito. Both were said to be very close and had joined up for the army and were rarely seen now a days. When Naruto asked why he called Kakashi an uncle instead of a cousin Sasuke had simply said, 'Because Father treats him as a brother rather then an annoyance.' Naruto couldn't argue with that.

Neji said he was spending the day with his Father. Apparently Kabuto's story worked. Naruto grinned as he remembered Neji exitedly explaining how he had a talk with his father the day he heard Kabuto's story. His father had seemed shocked at the way Neji saw their relationship and had locked himself in his room for a day. Neji didn't know what his Father did in his room the whole time, he just knew that when he came out his Father had begged for forgivness, that he didn't realized that he was pushing Neji. Then Neji had surprised him by giving him a hug and thanking him. That without Naruto telling him Kabuto's story, things would have only gotten worse and because of the story they both came to an understanding and were working on rebuilding their relationship.

Kiba couldn't make it because he was going to help his mom and his sister at their pet shop. Naruto laughed remembering how Kiba gave him puppy eyes begging for him not to be sad and that when he came back he'd bring his dog with him. When Naruto laughed and said alright, Kiba looked on the verge of crying. So to protect his man hood, he had sent the others on a errand and asked what was wrong. Kiba had seemed happy about that before he sighed and said, 'I feel like I'm abandoning my brother.' Those words still surprised Naruto. Is that how they all saw him? When Naruto said it wasn't like that Kiba still didn't believe him but had said, 'Promise?' Naruto only patted his head and smiled, 'Cross my heart.' Apparently Kiba had taken him at his word because he left with a smile on his lips.

Then there was Gaara. Gaara had said he had something to do but didn't go on into detail. Naruto would have asked if everything was okay, but if Gaara was anything like Kimimaro he wouldn't have liked to be pushed.

Walking outside to his favorite place in the back, Naruto thought about how close Gaara resembled Kimimaro. He grinned remembering how long it took to get Kimimaro to like him and the others. Looking up, Naruto stopped in surprise.

Gaara sat on one of the worn chairs. What was more surpriseing was it was Kimimaro's favorite chair and for a second, with the way Gaara was sitting, it looked like his friend.

"I'm sorry." Gaara said quickly standing up, "I was... I'll go."

"No, it's alright." Naruto said motioning him to sit down. "I did say you could come here whenever you like." he added looking over the lake. "We can both enjoy this and relax."

"Okay." Gaara said sitting down slowly and looking down at his hands.

"You know," Naruto said breaking the silence, "Kimimaro used to sit here to forget the day or to get away from us when we got too much for him."

"He did?" Gaara asked looking up at him surprised.

"Yeah, Kimimaro could only handle so much before the day was over. He loved us like brothers but we drove him nuts. I think Sora and I were the worst." Naruto laughed looking down at him and taking a seat on a empty chair.

"Did..." Gaara seemed to think on what to say before he spoke again, "Kimimaro... how did he react to what people thought about him, I mean... when you described him earlier he almost... he seemed like me." He finished quietly.

"He was like you. I see him alot when I look at you." Naruto said smiling over at him.

"So did he ever feel... alone?" Gaara asked looking down at the lake.

"He did," Naruto said looking up toward the sky, "in the beginning."

"And after?" Gaara asked turning his body toward him. "Was he alone?"

"Yeah, to a point." Naruto said watching him now, "Kimimaro could claim to be alone all he wanted but we all pulled him out of his shell. We made him realize even when we weren't around we were still there."

"How?" Gaara asked. This weekened he felt alone. All of his friends were off doing something with their families but he had no one. His brother and sister were off in college. What made things worse, was that without Kiba, Sasuke, and Neji around he had no one. People were afraid of him even, Sakura, their last friend who was off traveling the world with her parents for a month, was kind of scared of him.

"Kimimaro was a very scary guy when I first met him. He tried to scare Sora and I away, but we had Haku who is by far scarier then any criminal when he's in his mothering stage, so we were immune..."


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story.**

"Get the fuck out!" his father yelled slapping him across the face, busting his lip. Kimimaro fell against the wall. He hated when his father was drunk. Everytime that man lifted the bottle he became violent. Hell that was the only time he interacted with Kimimaro.

"Didn't you hear me you son of a bitch!" His father yelled grabbing him by the collar and forcing him to the door. "Leave!" he yelled pushing Kimimaro out on to the ratty porch.

Kimimaro hand landed on the nail sticking out of the broken step. With a curse he got up and took off running before his father could do anything else.

Why did this always have to happen? Every weekened Kimimaro was thrown out of his home only to come back on Tuesday, the day his father went back to work. From Tuesday to Friday neither saw eachother.

"Where am I supposed to sleep now?" Kimimaro asked himself as he craddled his bleeding hand in his arm. "Fuck it hurts."

Looks like he was going to have to buy some damn bandages again to stop the bleeding. Not that he would buy them. Hell he only had five bucks on him.

When he got closer to the store, he hid his hand inside his jacket pocket and walked inside. Already the cashier was giving him that look. The look that said, 'I know you're a bad kid and I'm watching you.' Kimimaro got that look where ever he went. When he went to school he got that same look to, excpet in the teachers case it said, 'oh no another one that's bound to fail.'

The other kids at school avoided him. They were afraid of him. At first it hurt that they would leave every time he came near. It wasnt like he was going to beat anyone up or steal from them. He didnt understand why people reacted like they did when they saw him. Sure he was big for a sixteen year old. He had a body that was used to the harsh life he was given. It wasn't his fault. He didn't choose to be this way.

Now a days Kimimaro encouraged the way they saw him. If they wouldn't like him, he'd make them fear him. He was the enemy they didn't want. The Devil in their nightmares. He was what hell had in mind when it created demons.

If those idiots wanted him to be the bully they thought he was, why not give them what they wanted? Kimimaro had hurt people. He stole from and beat them. Once he tried drugs because he thought that was what they wanted from him but it didn't agree with him. He was sick for weeks. Hell he didn't even remember those two weeks beyond the sickness that over took his body. He found he didnt like losing control, so avoided drugs all together. He tried drinking. He liked the buzz he got from a few bottles running through his system.

Kimimaro went around an aile to make it seem like he couldn't decided what he wanted to buy. When would the bitch stop looking at him?

And it was as if his prayers were answered. The door rang again telling him someone else had come in. He heard the voices of four boys. Each laughing at some joke one of them had finished telling.

"Hey Karin." They all said.

"Hey guys, what's up?" she replied.

"We're out of food. We need more." someone said loudly. Kimimaro tuned the rest of what they said out as he found the bandages and placed a handful in his pocket. A few minutes later he was out of the door and walking away with his loot.

"Hey!" someone yelled behind him. "You have to pay for that!"

"Fuck." Kimimaro cursed as he took off running. Normally he wasn't afraid of a fight. He would have taken them all on but his hand was killing him.

"Hey!" they yelled again as they gave chase.

Kimimaro ran and jumped over everything that got in his way. A few times he thought he lost them but one would aways show up somewhere. What the hell were they on? Why didn't they leave him alone already?

Turning a corner he stopped, "Fuck." he said when he saw the dead end. When he turned to run back out he cursed again. "Fuck off before I hurt you."

"Dude you have to pay for whatever you jacked." one of the kids said panting and glaring at the same time.

"Fuck you."

"You really should check your language." another boy said crossing his arms and giving him a look that said, 'listen to me.'

"You're not my fucking mother."

"He thinks he is, right Haku?" a blonde said laughing.

"Naruto, now is not the time to laugh. Karin saw him take something, we have to return it."

"Yes, Kabuto." Naruto said saluting him. "Okay hand it over. Whatever you took and we'll let you go."

Kimimaro said nothing as he glared. He needed to check his hand. It was starting to go numb and he was starting to feel a little dizzy. He couldn't have lost that much blood could he?

"You're glare doesnt work on us. We have Haku." Naruto said smirking as he nodded his head toward 'Haku'.

"Get the fuck away from me." Kimimaro growled making his body look bigger.

"If you're trying to scare us, you need to try harder." the last kid said.

"Sora's right, man you almost have the look but you're still lacking a certain something." Naruto said, scrunching his eyebrows together as he tapped his finger to his chin.

"No." Kimimaro said, if they wanted a fight he'd give them one.

"I knew it would come to this." Haku sighed, "Listen um, whoever you are, you need to hand your little prize over."

"Go to hell."

"Already been there. Have my own room and everything." Haku said as his face went cold.

Kimimaro tried to hide the shiver that went down his spine. What the hell was wrong with him? He wasn/t afraid of anyone. Yet this Haku scared him.

"I will not ask again." Haku said holding out his hand.

Kimimaro wanted to spit at him but his mouth was to dry to even try. Biting his lip in anger he hissed as he remembered his busted lip. With a curse he threw the items in his pocket at Haku and the others as he held his bleeding hand over his lip.

"Bandages?" Sora said confused picking them up. "Why would anyone steal these?"

"Because they're hurt." Haku said taking them from Sora and making his way to Kimimaro. "Let me see your hand."

Kimimaro glared at him but did as he was told. No point in fighting, when he felt like he'd pass out any minute.

"It's deep. Did you cut yourself? No it looks like you landed on something, I need to clean it." Haku said tugging on his arm to get him to follow.

"Let go I can do it myself." Kimimaro said jerking his hand away. "I gave you the fucking shit now leave me alone." He growled before pushing past Haku and the rest.

Twenty minutes later he was sitting on a bench in an old abandon park. His hand was killing him and the cloth he ripped from his shirt may have stopped the bleeding but it didn't stop the pain. With another torn piece he spit on it and dabbed at his lip.

"You're going to get infected." someone said walking up to him.

Kimimaro turned his head to see Haku walking toward him. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Language." Haku scolded before sitting beside Kimimaro and taking his hand. "Jerk it away and I'll hurt you more." he warned when Kimimaro tensed.

"Why are you helping me?" Kimimaro asked quietly when Haku started dabbing something on his hand. "It stings." He hissed trying to jerk his hand away.

"It's supposed to." Haku said pulling his hand back. "I'm not a doctor but I think you need stitches. Orochimaru, Kabuto's dad could do that for you." he added wrapping a clean bandage around Kimimaro's hand. "Come on."

Not waiting for a reply Haku took off. Kimimaro debated if he wanted to follow or stay where he was. With a sigh he got up and followed Haku. "You never answered me."

"Why am I helping you?" Haku asked looking at him. At Kimimaro's nod he said, "Because I can."

"No one helps me." Kimimaro argued. What kind of answer was that?

"I did." Haku pointed out.

"How did you find me?"

"It wasn't that hard."

"What do you mean?" Kimimaro asked annoyed.

"You seem like you'd go to the place that has less people. This is the only one around here." Haku said. "Oh look there's our ride." Lifting his hand he waved once.

When the car pulled over, Kimimaro could only stare in shock. This kind of car belonged on a stand to be shown off, not here in this part of the city.

"Haku, you shouldn't run off like that." a man said lowering the window. "You had us worried."

"Sorry Orochimaru," Haku said, "I had to help him. Can you look at his hand? I bandaged it but I think it needs stitches."

"Alright." Orochimaru said getting out of the car and walking to the trunk. Finally he walked over to Kimimaro and gave the box to Haku to hold. "Let me see." Orochimaru demanded.

"I don't need anything." Kimimaro said glaring.

"And I don't care. Let me see your hand." Orochimaru said narrowing his eyes.

Kimimaro opened his mouth to say somthing else but stopped when Orochimaru grabbed his arm. He then began to unwrap the bandages as he told Haku, "Good job, you cleaned it well." after that, he tilted Kimimaro's hand to the side and nodded. "Yes he does need stitches."

Reaching into the box he wiped his hand with a weird oder cloth before he pulled out a needle, string and something that looked like a weird pair of scissors.

"What are you doing?" Kimimaro asked moving back.

"Stitching you up." Orochimaru said as if it was obvious. "I'm a doctor, don't worry." he said rolling his eyes.

A few minutes later Kimimaro's hand was stitched up and bandaged once again. His lip got the same cleaning but Orochimaru said he didn't need stitches there. "Where are you going boy?" Orochimaru asked as he put his tools away.

"My name is Kimimaro."

"Kimimaro then, where are you going."

"Wherever I want." Kimimaro said glaring.

"Be nice, he helped you." Haku said glaring.

"I didn't ask for his help." Kimimaro replied.

"I didn't see you telling him to stop." Haku pointed out.

"Haku get in the car." Orochimaru said. "Kimimaro get in."

"No."

"Either get in or I'll let Haku drag you in." Orochimaru said opening his door.

"I'm waiting." Haku said holding the back door for him. Kimimaro debated again before he sighed and swallowed a curse and got in.

"Good choice." Haku said closing the door.

Thirty minutes later, Kimimaro saw a house come into view. When did this get here? He wondered. Was it always here?

"You're back!" Naruto yelled running out of the house with Sora and Kabuto walking behind him.

"Yes we are." Haku said, "And we brought a guest."

"Who?" Sora asked.

"Kimimaro." Haku said nodding toward Kimimaro as he got out of the car.

"Hi." Naruto said grinning. "I'm Naruto."

Kimimaro glared at him and said, "You're loud and annoying."

"It takes a while to get used to him." Sora grinned at the glaring blonde.

"You're the same way." Kimimaro pointed out.

"And you're a jerk!" Sora yelled huffing in anger.

"Enough. Kabuto are you staying here tonight?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes Father." Kabuto replied.

"Alright you boys behave, I'll see you tomorrow." with that he was gone.

"So Kimimaro wanna get a tour?" Naruto asked forgetting about being mad. "The outside isn't much to look at but the inside is amazing."

"We fixed it up perfectly." Sora sighed in bliss. "Man people are going to be jealous of this when it's done."

"Might as well get the tour." Kabuto said grinning, "You'd regret it if you said no."

Why would Kimimaro care? It wasn't like he was staying.

S N

"Seven months later, Kimimaro was singing a different song." Naruto said, finishing his story. "The first few months were a little crazy. He went from no friends to four. He tried to leave a few times but Haku always stopped him. Well we helped to, tied him to a chair or two, but it was Haku that got him to stay. He never gave up and when Haku wanted something, he got it."

"He had it worse then I do." Gaara said quietly.

"Yeah, Kimimaro seemed to pull trouble toward him." Naruto sighed then laughed, "Didn't stop him from bringing it either."

"What happened to his dad?"

"He went to prison for beating on a kid, he thought was Kimimaro. You see Kimimaro ended up getting adopted by Orochimaru, when Orochimaru found out how he'd been living and how he got hurt. Kimimaro had a lot of scars inside and out that shaped his life. He was closer to Haku though, he saw Haku as his savior. Made it a lot harder to defy Haku to."

"So how did he get over everyone being afraid of him?" Gaara asked.  
"He didn't really. Like I said this was Kimimaro's spot. He'd always came here to think or get away. He used this place a lot to get away at first. Then when he realized we weren't leaving, he adapted to us. When he befriended us, he opened himself up again. To get hurt, to laugh, to joke. The last two were rare but when they happened, we all treasured it." Naruto opened his mouth and closed it before finally saying, "Kimimaro had a bad situation from the word go. He was a bad kid but Haku slowly brought him out of his shell and with his help, Kimimaro opened up more."

"So what you're saying is..."

"Don't force fear in anothers eyes. Befriend them first and if they still fear you screw them. That was Kimimaro's saying. He never got over being feared but he used it to protect us. He realized no one was going to stop fearing him, so he used it for his adavantged and kept us safe. Sora and I relied on him alot. We always opened our mouths at the wrong time and place." Naruto said laughing.

"So he didn't feel alone anymore?" Gaara asked.

"No, he saw we weren't leaving his side." Naruto said placing his hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Your friends are'nt leaving you either, even when they aren't by your side, they're yours for as long as you want them. Who cares about the world, the world isn't always going to be our friend, but it's also going to miss out a lot on knowing a really good kid."

"Thank you." Gaara said smiling.

"You're welcome." Naruto grinned. "Come on lets go inside, we can have some brownies I made."

"Okay." Gaara said getting up. He felt better now. Naruto was right. Haku and the rest didn't give up on Kimimaro, and his friends weren't giving up on him either. "What happened to Kimimaro."

"Kimimaro became a teacher for troubled teens. He set them on the right path. Thoes that didn't listen the first time, he would scare a little the second. Needless to say, everyone he helped made a better life." Naruto said causing Gaara to laugh.

Naruto blinked. He could have sworn he heard Kimimaro laughing. Maybe he heard him too.


	7. Chapter 7

**7**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

It had been a while since the teens had last seen Naruto. When they all came back from what they were doing they ended up having to do something else that seemed to get in their way.

Now a week and five days later Sasuke was ready to go see the blonde again and hopefully hear another story about his friends. He liked hearing stories. From Gaara he learned about Kimimaro, he would have liked if he was there to actually hear the story form Naruto's mouth. Pushing away the jealousy he felt about only Gaara hearing the story, he waited outside for his friends to come so they could go see Naruto.

While he was waiting he saw his brother's friends car pull up and then three people got out. His brother from the passenger side. Kisame from the driver side and finally Hidan from the back.  
Sasuke tried to hold back the glare at the last one. He liked Deidara way more then Hidan. At least Deidara was fun. All Hidan did was insult him.

"Look who it is," Hidan said with a smirk, "it's Little Itachi waiting for his babysitters to pick him up."

"Look who it is," Sasuke glared, "it's big, fat-" he glared at his brother's hand or tried to as he pried it off his face. "What?"

"Sasuke." Itachi said already knowing what Sasuke was going to say. "Can you at least get along with my friends?"

"Not when it's him." Sasuke pointed.

"What did I do? You should be honored to be called Little Itachi." Hidan grinned grabbing him in a headlock.

"Let go idiot!" Sasuke shouted trying to break free.

"Hidan." Itachi smirked as he pulled Sasuke free. "What are you waiting for?" he asked once Sasuke was a few feet away from a grinning Hidan.

"My friends." Sasuke said not wanting to share Naruto with his brother. Naruto was theirs and theirs alone. Itachi wasn't going to have him. Sasuke found him first.

"Where do you and your friends disappear to when you leave?" Kisame asked.

"None of your business." Sasuke said crossing his arms and turning his head away.

"I can always have mother ground you." Itachi said.

"On what grounds? I didn't do anything bad." Sasuke smirked.

"I'm pretty sure I can find something." Itachi smirked back.

Before Sasuke could retort he heard Kiba yelling at him as they all came up his driveway. "Come on Sasuke, get your bike. Times a wasting."

"Coming." Sasuke smiled feeling excitement crawling through his blood at the thought of seeing his favorite older brother that he wished was his real brother. Turning to Itachi he said, "Don't follow us."

Getting on his bike he left.

"I believe he said follow us." Hidan grinned already walking back to the car. "Let's not disappoint him."

"I agree." Itachi smirked.

"I thought we were going to watch that new movie?" Kisame asked getting back in the car.

"We will... Later. Come on before we lose them." Hidan yelled.

S N

"Naruto!" Kiba yelled parking his bike. "NARUTO!"

"We're back!" Neji called out looking around.

"Where is he?" Sasuke wondered, hurt that Naruto wasn't responding.

"He's probably upstairs." Gaara said softly.

Moving to the door he noticed a note.

'Hey guys, if you come today I'm going to be gone until four, Make yourself at home. Cookies are in the fridge'

'Naruto'

"What time is it?" Gaara asked looking at the others.

"3:45." Neji replied looking at his watch.

"He should be here in fifteen minutes." Gaara said showing them the note.

"So what should we do?"

"Eat cookies." Kiba said walking inside.

As they sat around the table eating the cookies quietly they sighed as one. They really wanted to see Naruto.

The house was so silent that when they heard a car pull up they each stood quickly and with big smiles on their faces they ran outside only to see Kisame's car.

"What are you doing here!" Sasuke yelled. "Go away! You're not wanted here!"

"Now is that any way to treat your brother and his friends?" Itachi asked.

All the younger teens glared at the older teens that dared to step foot in their place.

"So this is where you go. It's a nice place." Kisame said looking around.

"Go away!" Kiba growled. "You can't be here."

"Why not pup?" Hidan asked innocently.

"Because."

"Because is not an answer."

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Shut up!"

"Oh wow that's original."

"May I ask why you are all yelling?" Naruto asked coming through the front door.

"Naruto!" Sasuke, Gaara, Neji, and Kiba yelled ignoring the older teens and running to Naruto.

"Where have you been? We were waiting forever!" Kiba said holding his arms out wide.

"I left a note." Naruto said amused.

"Yes but-"

"Who are you?" Hidan asked getting glares from the young teens.

"Naruto tell them to go away, they aren't welcomed." Sasuke said glaring pointedly at his brother.

"Now Sasuke, that is no way to treat guest."

"But they're not guest, they're idiots!" Sasuke argued.

Naruto laughed as he ruffled Sasuke's hair. Itachi stared in shock as Sasuke smiled at the gesture. If he were to do that Sasuke would try and kill him.

"Sasuke, you're starting to sound like Sai."

"Are you going to tell us another story?" Kiba asked jumping in place. "You told Gaara about Kimimaro. Can we hear about Sai?"

"As soon as you introduce your friends." Naruto promised.

"That idiot," Sasuke pointed at Hidan, "Is Hidan, then there is Kisame and Itachi, who happens to be my brother."

"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Naruto."

"Why do you have a cane?" Hidan asked.  
"Idiot!" Sasuke yelled.

Naruto laughed again and patted Sasuke's shoulder. "It's a story for another time, right now I promised these guys a story about Sai... Do you guys want to be outside? It's a nice day."

"Okay." Kiba said moving so Naruto could sit down. Once he was settled the young teens sat in front of him on the floor and crossed their legs.

"Will you join us?" Naruto asked the older teens.

"Why not." Hidan said moving to sit on the steps. Itachi took the second chair and Kisame leaned against the post.

"Okay... Let's see Sai, Like I said was our artist... Wait you three don't have an idea whom I'm talking about, let me get the photo-"  
"I'll get it!" Kiba yelled, shocking the teens again. Kiba was lazy, he didn't do anything unless threatened and here he was getting things without anyone asking.

Coming back Kiba handed Naruto the black book and sat back down.

"Thank you Kiba... Okay," opening the book he flipped until he found a picture. Turning it to face them he showed a pale teen with black hair holding a paint brush and looking at the camera with annoyance, "This is Sai. He painted non stop. Everything that he saw he painted it. Even if it came out bad," The younger teens laughed remembering the painting they saw, "he kept it. Art was meant to be kept and showed to the world. Sai believed everything was art. When we met, Sai he was very territorial of his things. He hated for anyone to touch what was his and to him, we were all idiots..."


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

Sai closed his eyes and let the brush move however it wished across the canvass. He knew it was odd painting like this, but he didn't care. He learned a long time ago that his paint brush was the master of his paintings. Sai was just the one lucky enough to pick it up.

After a few more strokes, he washed the brush and dipped it in another random color. Starting the process over again, he let his mind drift away as he painted. He was in paradise. This was what he did and he did it well. Even when his painting didn't come out as they should, Sai loved them. Every one of them was worth more to him then life itself.

With a small smile on his face he put down his brush and opened his eyes. All over the canvass was a mix of colors. Black being the dominant one. Red swirled and mixed with blue and purple.

"I must being feeling lonely." he concluded. Why else would he choose such dark colors to paint when he also had bright ones on his plate?

The painting itself was of no actual picture. It was his emotion of the day. Maybe he needed a new place to paint.

Putting his things away and washing his paint brush with gentle care, Sai picked up his canvess and his case and made his way out of the empty abandon lot.

As he got closer to his home, he frowned when he saw his mother's car was gone. It seemed like she was out again. He wondered who was going to be his new stepfather. He sure hope it wasn't someone like that loser from two weeks ago.

Knowing the door would be locked he went around and crawled in through the basement window. Moments later, he was making himself oatmeal for his lunch/dinner and heading to his room. Hours later he was fast asleep.

When he woke next he smelt his mothers perfume mixing with cigarettes. "She's home early." Sai whispered getting up and making his way to the kitchen. "Mom?"  
"Not so loud honey, mommy has a hangover. You hungry?"  
Sai turned a little green at the running eggs mixed with ashes and something brown. "No. I'm going to be at the park today." Sai said kissing her cheek and trying to hide the fact that she smelt worse up close and looked like a corpse.

"Okay." she said nodding and taking a long swing from a green bottle. "Be safe." she said turning off the stove and throwing the pan with the food in the sink.

Sai nodded and quickly went to get his stuff together. Moments later he was out the door with his sketch pad, and his case filled with paint, brushes, pencils, pens, and other items of the similar theme.

S N

Sai sat under the shade that was created by the tree he was leaning against. Already he had drawn six sketches and was in the process of working on his seventh. All around the noise faded away leaving him in his own world.

One day he was going to be famous. His mother wasn't going to live off of a stripper's pay check and his art was going to sell for more then ten bucks a piece. Not that he sold all of his art. Some pieces he kept for himself. They were his children that he loved beyond all else. The paintings he sold were of people wanting to get one of themselves, their pets, or their children.

As he went to add the the shadow to his dancer, Sai grunted as a ball hit him on the head and rolled away. "Ouch." He groaned holding his hand to his trobbing head.

"Sorry!" someone yelled running up to him. "Man you shouldn't sit there, you're bound to get hit." the guy said picking up the ball.

"Why are you playing ball here? The fields are over there!" Sai glared pointing toward the left. "Can't you read! The signs all point that way!"

"Chill out man." the guy grinned unphased by Sai's glare. "The fields were all occupied so I came to play over here. I'm Sora, what's your name?" Sora asked throwing the ball from one hand to the other.

"It doesn't matter, go away." Sai glared picking up his sketch book.

"Whatcha drawing?" Sora asked moving closer.

"Do you mind?" Sai demanded closing his sketch book and glaring at the idiot in front of him.

"Mind what?"

"Leave." Sai glared harder.

"I can't, I'm waiting for friends." Sora shrugged sitting down as if he was wanted.

"What are yo doing?"

"Sitting? Why?" Sora asked confused. "Can I see your drawing?"

"No." Sai realized Sora wasn't going to leave him alone. With an inforced glare, he began putting his things away.

"Where you going?" Sora asked when he got up.

"None of your business." Sai stated walking off. When he heard Sora moving behind him he groaned. "Go away and leave me alone."  
"Why?" Sora grinned.  
"Because I said so."

"Um, nope that doesn't work." Sora shrugged.  
"What is your problem! Did your mom drop you on your head when you were a baby!"  
"My mom died when I was born." Sora stated shrugging again.

"Then your dad!" Sai said, feeling guilt over his previous comment.

"My dad is in the army. I pretty much live with a cousin of mine that's on crack all the time so I hang out with my friends."

"Then go find them." Sai said moving away from Sora when the kid tried to take a peek in his bag.

"I'm waiting for them." Sora said again.  
"Then wait over there." Sai pointed.

"Hey there they are." Sora grinned. "Hey guys over here!"

"Not more idiots." Sai groaned walking off again.

"Hey hold up! I want you to meet my friends!"

"No."

"Come on!"  
"No. Go away."  
"We're going to have a picnic, I want you to come." Sora said grinning.

Sai stopped. He was kind of hungry. He missed breakfast and he didn't have enough money to buy anything. The money he did make today was going to pay the water. "Fine, but this doesn't make us friends."

"Sure, sure. Come on." Sora lead him back to the group of four teens sitting by the tree he was at earlier. "Guy's this is my new friend... what was your name?"

Sai rolled his eyes. "I'm Sai and I'm not this idiot's friend."

"Neither am I but I'm still stuck with him." The blonde grinned as Sora glared. "I'm Nartuo. Nerdy over there is Kabuto. Scary is Kimimaro, and Girly is Haku. You met Idiot already." with all the nicknames, Naruto gained more glares from the others. "Kidding." he laughed.

Sai rolled his eyes and put his things down.

"Ignore them, they're both idiots. It took me forever to get used to them," Kabuto said handing him a homemade sandwich, "Kimimaro is still getting used to them."

"I doubt I'll even want to try." Sai smirked.

"Hey!" Sora and Naruto yelled together. "We're amazing people to know."

"In their heads." Haku grinned. "I've know those two the longest. Naruto more then Sora anyways, they even annoy me."

"You love us Mommy." Sora said with food in his mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Haku said.

Sora nodded and swallowed, "Yes mom."

"Please Sora, no more." Kimimaro said taking a drink of his water.

"Mom, Dad is being mean."

"If I was your father, you'd be shot." Kimimaro said, making Sora pout and Naruto laugh.

"So Sai, you're an artist?" Kabuto asked nodding toward his case.

"Yeah. I'm going to be the best artist in the world." Sai said proudly.

"Can you draw me?" Sora asked.

"All I need to draw is a stick and a big circle for your head." Sai stated as the others laughed.

Pouting again Sora ate his sandwich and ignored Naruto's jokes.

Hours Later Sai said good-bye to his not really friends. Well, Haku, Kabuto, and Kimimaro, could be his friends if Naruto and Sora weren't part of the equation. As he made his way home, he saw his mothers car still there. Going inside Sai called her name and when he got no answer he went to check her room. His mother was passed out on her bed with a beer bottle dangling from her hand. Quietly he went into her room and took the bottle. Looking around he made sure there was no cigarettes before he went to his own room.

The next morning his mother was still asleep. Not wanting to wake her, Sai gathered his money and headed out to pay their water bill. On the way he saw Naruto by himself walking ahead of him. Sai debated with himself to either pretend he didn't see him or to go talk to him. Finally he decided to call out his name.

"Hey Sai." Naruto grinned sadly as he waited for him to catch up.

"What's wrong, idiot?" Sai asked.

"Nothing." Naruto sighed, "Where are you going?"  
"To pay the water bill." Sai almost laughed at how easily Naruto took to his new nickname.

"Can I come?"

"Why not." Sai shrugged. After ten minutes of silence Sai decided to ask again, "What's wrong? And don't say nothing."  
Naruto pouted as he put his hands behind his head. "Kabuto is having a father/son day with his dad. Haku and Kimimaro are off again on their boring adventures of doing whatever they do, and Sora's with his cousin. He's sober today so they were going to go to the arcade."

"So you're by yourself?" Sai asked feeling the blonde's loneliness.

"I'm with you." Naruto smiled.

"I guess." Sai grumbled as they turned the corner. "Wait here." he said as he went into the building to pay the bill. Ten minutes later after the annoying lady that complained about everything had finally left, Sai paid his bill and walked back outside. Looking around, he spotted Naruto sitting on a bench just watching the world go by. Moving to the blonde he sat beside him.

"I hate being by myself." Naruto confessed. "I've been by myself since I was a baby. I'm an orphan. I met Haku when I was in the orphange. We shared a room for a month and we got along pretty great. Then he got adopted and I was left behind. A few years later Haku came back and took me away. We lived on the streets and then met up with Sora. Been together ever since. We found Kabuto and his dad a while ago and Kimimaro came out of nowhere only a month ago."

"So Haku broke you out of the orphange?" Sai asked surprised.

"Yeah. He said he didn't want me to live like he did and he took me away." Naruto shrugged. "What he went through was bad. If you want to know ask him."

Sai nodded then he blinked as Naruto stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I thought you were going home so I was going to walk around, maybe I'll bump into someone I know." Naruto said.

"Wait." Sai said, why was he doing this? "Why don't you come home with me? I'll show you some of my drawings."

Naruto blinked in surprise before a real grin broke across his face. "Okay... You're not going to rape me, are you?" as Sai's jaw touched the floor, Naruto laughed, "Kidding. Come on I thought we were going to your house?"

"Come on." Sai glared leading the way home. With Naruto talking all the way, Sai found himself enjoying the constant chatter that made the day a little brighter. With the blonde around he didn't feel so lonely. He bet if he picked up the paint brush right now he'd choose all bright colors. That in itself was weird and an odd feeling. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not.  
"This is your place?" Naruto whistled. "Man it's a nice place."

"It's liveable." Sai shrugged as he noticed his mom's car still there.

"No, it's cool. It looks comfortable." Naruto smiled. "Now if you want to see an amazing place to live, you have to see Kabuto's house."

"Where's your house? Do you live with Kabuto?" Sai asked letting them in and heading to his room.

"No, I live at our place that we fixed up ourselves, me and the guys...well Orochimaru would let us fix up. He took all the fun away went he sent in his own people. Haku lives with me. Sora, Kimimaro, and Kabuto sometimes live there too, but for the most part it's mostly Haku and me there or just me. Haku tends to hang out with Kimimaro more often then not. Sora is there a lot but he goes home every other day to check on his cousin and then he comes back the next morning. Kimimaro lives with Kabuto." Naruto said. "Wow you painted these?"

"Yeah, don't touch." Sai warned before Naruto's hand could touch his favorite painting. It was the first one he had ever done and it was of his mother when she looked healthy. "I'll be back." Sai said as he went to check on his mom. He frowned when he saw her in the same position as earlier. "Mom?" He called going to her side. "Mom it's time to wake up." He said shaking her shoulder. "Mom?"

"Sai what's wrong?" Naruto asked walking in and then freezing as he saw Sai shaking and trying to wake up his mom. Sai heard Naruto say something else as he ran out of the room. Moments later, to him it seemed like, he was back with people in uniforms. Sai watched in shock as Naruto held him and his mom was checked and put on a gurney.

"Where are they taking her?" Sai asked Naruto.

"The hospital." Naruto said. "Come on."

S N  
Sai sat beside his mother's bed as he waited for her to wake up. Behind him Naruto slept on the makeshift bed. He was thankful that Naruto had stayed with him throughout this whole thing. He should have checked on his mother earlier. He should have noticed something wrong. She almost died of alcohol poisoning and Sai almost lost her.

When someone knocked on the door he lifted his tired eyes.

"Hey." Haku said walking in with the rest of his group and an older man. "This is Orochimaru, he's Kabuto's dad."

Sai nodded.

"Kid's tired out." Sora whispered moving to Naruto's side.

"Let him sleep." Orochimaru said as he check Sai's mother's file. "She's going to be fine. Perhaps a little weak, but she'll be fine."

"How do you know?" Sai asked.  
"My dad's a doctor." Kabuto whispered. "Are you hungry?"

"No."  
"Well you gotta eat." Haku said pulling on his arm, "Even artist have to eat, come on, Orochimaru's paying."  
"I am?" Orochimaru lifted a brow at that.

"Yep." Kabuto grinned leading the way out.

"What about Naruto?" Sai asked, "I don't think he's eaten since this morning."

"Let him sleep, he didn't get much sleep last night anyway." Haku smiled, "Besides he's not going to be alone. Sora's making himself comfortable. Those two are attached at the hip ninty nine percent of the time. We'll bring them something up."

Sai looked back to see that Sora was sitting on the floor reading a comic book right beside Naruto's sleeping form. Nodding Sai let them lead him away. Promising himself that he'd make it up to Naruto no matter what.

S N  
"A few days later Sai's mom got out of the hospital and ended up working for Orochimaru as his secetary, but in reality she was was like a mother to all of us. She even bossed Orochimaru around like no ones business. Scared the crap out of us. Her name was Anko, and she passed away six years ago." Naruto said looking down at Sai's picture. "Sai realizing how short life was changed his tune about everything. He even tried teaching Sora and I how to paint. That was a bust, and he ended up beating us over the head with the amount of paint we wasted on paint wars."

"Sai sounds like Sasuke." Itachi smirked as Sasuke ignored him. "Where's Sai now?"

"Sai is everywhere." Naruto grinned at their blank expressions. "Sai considered himself a part of his paintings. His art sells for millions or if he's feeling generous a few bucks."

"So what was Sai's motto?" Neji asked. "We heard Kabuto's and Kimimaro's, well Gaara heard his. What was Sai's?"

"Sai's motto?" Naruto grinned, "His motto was 'if it can be painted it can be beaten'."

"What does that mean?" Kisame asked confused.

"He always said that to anyone who dishonored his paintings. Sora and I for instance, made fun of them just to get a rise once in a while. Well, more Sora then me. He meant that if anyone made fun of his art he'd hurt them, it was like that one motto 'if your breathing you can bleed' or however it goes. His was an art motto, his had to fit his life."

"Can we hear another story? Haku's? Ino's? Yours?" Kiba asked hopefully knowing he'd get a no.

"Maybe another day." Naruto grinned. "It's time for you kids to get home and this old man to go to sleep."

"You're not old," Gaara said, "you're only thirty-two."

"Hm? I feel older." Naruto grinned standing up slowly with some help from Sasuke. "Thank you, Sasuke."  
Sasuke smiled pleased with himself. Once again Itachi was surprised. Why didn't Sasuke ever help him? If Itachi needed help, not that he'd ask for it, Sasuke would just laugh and mock him, not even offering a hand.

"We'll be back tomorrow." Kiba promised.

"Alright sounds like a plan." Naruto smiled and waved all of them off. "Nice meeting you three."  
"Same here." Kisame grinned, "Can we come back tomorrow too?"

"Why not? the more the better." Naruto said and waited until they all left. "So Sai, what are you painting now?" He asked the air before limping inside.


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

Naruto was up early the next day. For some reason he felt like he could run a million miles and never tire. He felt like he could lift a bus and not drop it. He felt so full of life and energy that he could do nothing but smile. It seemed like forever since he felt like this. Holding the world in his hands was something he'd never thought he could ever feel again. When was the last time he felt this? Was it the year he turned eighteen? Before that or maybe after?

Who knows. It didn't really matter anyway. Right now was all that mattered. Right now was the reason to live. Getting out of bed he sighed in bliss when he felt no pain eating at his body and he wanted to cry in joy when his legs didn't protest his whole weight when he stood. Maybe he could walk today without his cane. Taking a step he gasped and sat back down.

Just as quickly as the happiness and the amazing feeling came it was gone. With a painful groan he massaged his legs to soothe the feeling and dropped his head. "There's always tomorrow." he whispered sadly as he reached for his cane and tried standing again. This time his bones protested. After five minutes of getting used to his legs getting used to his weight again, he took his first painful step.

Twenty minutes later he finally made it down his stairs and was now standing in the kitchen. Today the teenagers would be coming back. What should he cook? He didn't know what time they were going to come or how many. He knew Sasuke, Kiba, Gaara, and Neji would come for sure but he didn't know if he was going to receive some surprising guest like he did yesterday.

"Maybe a cook out?" he thought and then quickly got rid of that idea. He didn't have the energy to go to the store or drive a car. "Soup?" no it was too hot to have soup. "Pasta?" He was out of noddles. "Maybe I'll just stick to dessert." he sighed. He had all the ingrediants for cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. "I could make a cake." he thought and then wondered what kind of cake the teen's would like.

In the end he made brownies and cookies. Those were the easiest and the fastest to make. By the time he got them in the ovens he was exhausted and panting like he held his breath for ages. Moving to the counter he reached above his head to the top shelf and pulled out his medication. Taking two pills he swallowed some water and thought about the good old day when he didn't have to take anything.

Moving toward the kitchen table he took a seat and began to think of his own past. He thought of Haku and all the word lashing he got from the teen. He thought of Kimimaro and the staredowns and orders he was forced to recieve. He thought of Kabuto and the reasons why he should have listened to him in the first place. He thought of Sai and all of the constant battles over why art wasn't boring. He thought of Sora and the fun pranks and stuff they used to do and he thought of Ino and the very bossy attitude she had. He thought of the times they met and the last time he had seen any of them. It hurt now to think of when he said good-bye. He didn't know if it hurt more when he said it or now when he would do anything to see them again. He missed them all. He even missed Orochimaru's and his lectures and Anko with her odd sense of humor. Orochimaru had wanted to adopt Haku and Naruto. Both boys had refused saying they didn't need a parent. Naruto knew Haku had said no because of his past. Naruto had said no because he didn't want to leave Haku.

The sound of a ding let him know something was done. He wasn't sure which one. Getting up slowly as he cursed his body silently as he moved to the ovens. Opening the one that dinged again he realized it was the brownies. Turning the oven off he grabbed a rag and pulled out the pan. Setting it gently on the cooling rack he frowned. Look at his life. It was nothing like he thought it should have been. Nothing at all. A few minutes later the second oven dinged and again Naruto repeated the same process. Once both had cooled he grabbed his homemade frosting and set to work on the brownies. If his friends could see him now they'd laugh. Who knew Anko's baking skills would rub off on him. She couldn't cook to save her life, but when she made her first cake, everyone had been stunned, including herself.

After that was all done, he wondered when his new friends would arrive. After a few minutes of standing there he grabbed the platter with both desserts and slowly moved to his fridge. With that out of the way he moved back to his table and closed his eyes. "I miss you guys."

Everyday he missed them. He even missed them more now that he was telling their stories for the first time in ever.

"Naruto!" he heard Kiba calling from outside. With a smile he stood and made his way toward the back door. Walking on to his porch he smiled as he saw Kiba, Neji, Gaara, and Sasuke hopping out of a car Itachi drove. Behind Itachi, another car pulled in and out came Kisame and Hidan along with two other people he didn't know.

"Hey!" Kiba shouted running up to him. "Did you miss us?"

"Of course." Naruto smiled softly at the teen.

"I hope you don't mind but we brought two more people." Itachi said.

"That's fine. This place was made for people." Naruto grinned. "Hello, I'm Naruto."

"Deidara and this is Pain." the blonde teen grinned back. "Hidan was telling us the story about Sai and they," he gestured to Kiba and his friends, "Where telling us about the others you talked about. I wanted to hear a story too, if I could."

"That's no problem." Naruto smiled. "Why don't you guys come inside. I have cookies and brownies in the fridge."

"Homemade?" Kiba asked hopefully.

"Always." Naruto laughed ruffeling the boys hair and then Kiba took off running with the other younger teens right behind him. "If I was you I'd go and get some too." Naruto advised and then chuckled as the rest of the teens quickly went inside. By the time he made it to the kitchen the platter was half empty.

"These are so good!" Deidara declared taking a big bite of one of the cookies. "Man I have to get my mom to make these for me."

"Naruto?" Neji said between bites of his brownie. "Can we hear another story now?"

"Okay. Which one?" Naruto asked and smiled his thanks at Kiba for bringing him a chair to sit on. Standing for any length of time was a killer. The only reason he stood so much was to prove that he could. He wasn't going to let his doctors or anyone for that matter tell him how much to push himself.

"Sora!" Kiba said loudly. "I want to hear all the cool awesome things about Sora and the pranks!"

Naruto chuckled at that. "Well, Sora wasn't always so cool and he didn't always pull pranks."

"What?" Kiba's mouth fell open in shock. "Why?"

"Well you see Sora may have been the fun guy that made everyone laugh, but in the beginning Sora was a very quiet and depressed kid. Sora always felt like the world was against him and made it his life mission to prove he wasn't a weak coward. When I met Sora we just about killed eachother..."


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

Sora watched once more as his father got into a waiting car and left. He stayed by the window of his cousin's apartment until the car was out of sight. With a sad sigh, he rested his head against the cool glass and wished that just once his father would stay with him. That his father would never leave him again. He wished his mother didn't die and that his father was an actual father that loved him.

"Sora," his cousin Raidou called from the kitchen. "I'm going out, call for take out if you get hungry."

"Okay." Sora said not bothering to turn to his cousin. Since the time he was six, he had come to live with Raidou for most part of the year, only living with his dad for a month before he was sent back. Now this time, his dad wasn't coming back. He was going off to fight and would be gone for a long time. Briefly he wondered if he'd ever even see his dad again.

When the door closed behind him, Sora sighed and brushed off the single tear that slid down his face. "What do I do now?" With Raidou gone, he was alone. Not that it mattered if Raidou was here or not. His cousin was an addict. He was so stuck on that stuff that he forgot to come home. Sometimes though, he was the cousin Sora remembered before he got stuck on his new path. Sometimes, Raidou would be the awesome cousin that remembered to feed him or just hang out with him. Sometimes, Raidou was actually taking a part of Sora's life.

Most times he was gone, out buying more, or working as a bouncer at a club.

The year Sora turned ten was the year Raidou had turned to drugs. It happened after he saw his best friend die in a car accident. Sora remembered going to Hayate's funeral. He remembered Raidou sitting there in one of the white plastic chairs gazing at the gleaming coffin. He remembered holding Raidou's hand as his cousin cried silently for the friend he had since he was six. He remembered watching the coffin being lowered and when they went home Raidou had locked himself in his room for two days. When he came out he told Sora he was leaving and came back a week later looking completely trashed and lost.

Sora remembered feeling so scared as he watched Raidou make his way clumsily to his bed and fall asleep. The next morning Sora woke up and saw his favorite cousin snorting something on the kitchen table.

That was four years ago. Four years of watching his favorite cousin and father figure survive the day by snorting or injecting anything he could get his hands on.

With another sigh, he turned his gaze to the wet sidewalk and watched two young boys walking side by side as the rain fell on them. He watched the blonde one say something to make the other laugh and shake his head. He watched until they turned the corner and disappeared.

What was it like to live so carefree? To not feel like you had to hide and pretend just to survive the day? To not have to lie for your guardian just so you didn't have to worry about the state taking you?

Those two were lucky. They had it made. They weren't forced to grow up. With a glare at the window, Sora turned away and moved to his room.

S N

The next day, the rain was still pouring, but Sora didn't care. He didn't want to be alone at the apartment anymore. He needed to get away for a while. Raidou had told him to get take out but that was kind of impossible since he didn't leave any money. The only thing in the fridge was jelly and a case of beer. The only thing in the cabinet was crackers. Yum. Sora thought sarcastically. He ate the crackers but he was so not eating the jelly. He hated jelly and he was too young for beer.

Grabbing one of Raidou's extra jackets he took off and wandered aimlessly through the streets, ignoring the rain and everything else.

When he ended up at the arcade he decided what the heck and went in. Even if he didn't have money or friends, he could still look around.

The arcade was empty save for a few kids. Two of which were the kids he saw walking yesterday. Both were playing some type of shooting game that the blonde kept accusing of being rigged.

Without thought, Sora walked closer to them and smirked as the blonde once again died.

"Haku, I'm telling you, they have it set up so you can't win!"

"Naruto," Haku grinned, "You-"

"Suck." Sora offered and smirked as both teens turned to him. "You couldn't win to save your life."

"Oh and you could do better?" Naruto glared.

"Yeah I could. Anyone could do better then you."

"Prove it." Naruto demanded and moved out of the way to let Sora play. "What are you waiting for?"

"I have no money." Sora glared. "What do you want me to play with? My good looks?"

"As if you have any." Naruto laughed, "You'd probably break the game if you did play."

"What did you say." Sora demanded advancing on Naruto. "Say it again!"

"Okay-"  
"Enough." Haku sighed stepping between the two. "Here's a quarter. Try it out or else Naruto will pester you until you do."

"What if I don't want to?" Sora asked lifting his chin.

"Why? Because you really do suck?" Naruto asked innocently.

After a heated glace between the two, Sora took the quarter from Haku's hand and turned to the game. He never played an arcade game before but how hard could it be? Sticking the quarter in he gave it a shot. Ten seconds later he watched in shock as he died and the words 'game over' flashed acrossed the screen.

Naruto broke out laughing as he held his stomach and doubled over. "Wow, that showed me." shaking his head and wiping at his tears, he went on, "At least I made it to level ten."

"I wasn't ready." Sora defended himself.

"Right." Naruto said before laughing some more. Though Haku tried not to, Sora saw him trying to hide his own laughter.

"I wasn't!"

"Want another quarter?" Naruto asked with a smirk in place.

"As if I want to be around you any longer then I have to." Sora glared as he turned and left. Never in his life had he felt so humiliated. He could never show his face in there again or two those to ever. He was a joke now.

"Hold up!" Naruto yelled running after him with Haku. "Wait, um, man, teen, guy, person!"

"Oh like that will stop him." Sora heard Haku remark to Naruto. "Please ignore him. I'm Haku and he's Naruto." Haku smiled as he caught up.

"Totally awesome and amazing Naruto." the blonde grinned proudly.

"More like stupid and retarded." Sora countered.

"HEY! Take that back!"

"Not in this lifetime." Sora grinned.

"So, who are you?" Haku asked as he ignored Naruto's rants and demands for an apology.

"Sora."

"Nice to meet you."

"No it's not." Naruto said glaring at the back of Sora's head. "It's not nice at all, in fact it's very stupid to meet you."

"That doesn't even make sense, idiot." Sora replied.

"Well your face doesn't make sense."

"How old are you?"

"Old enough to be awesome." Naruto grinned again.

"Seriously how old?"

"Does it matter?" Haku laughed, "He always acts like this."

"I guess not." Sora decided as Naruto turned his glares and pointless threats on Haku. "Are you guys just going to follow me?"

"We're out of quarters." Naruto shrugged without a care in the world. Sora wished he could be like that. "So you're the better option."  
"Of what?"

"We figured you'd like to hang out." Haku said sending Naruto a look before turning to Sora. "Three is supposed to be lucky."

"Whatever." Sora shrugged as he felt giddy on the inside.

S N

Over the next few days, he found himself always with the two. Many times he felt the need to prove to Naruto that he was better and so started the challenges and the made up rules of everything. Many times he could have choked the blonde and many times Haku had to play referee.

One day while Raidou was lighting up with a few of his friends, Sora escaped the apartment and went in search of Haku and Naruto. He always found them at the arcade so that was his first place to look. When he didn't find them he asked the guy working behind the counter if they had come in yet. When he got a no, Sora left and tried to think of places he could go to find them.

He tried all the other places they hung out at but never found them. He spent all day and half the night before he went home and locked himself up in his room.

The next day he tried again. He didn't know why he was so set on finding the two. Maybe it was because they made him feel more free or maybe because they were his first real friends. Naruto may have been his rival in everything but even Sora would admit their games were fun and Haku, Haku made everything seem like it was going to be okay. Haku was their unoffical leader that took them to new places and as they explored he'd reel them back in and tell them to stop because it was too dangerous. Even when he was sent pleading eyes from both him and Naruto, Haku refrained and stuck with his decision. Not that Naruto or he cared because they did it anyway and later felt guilty as Haku yelled at them for being stupid.

So where were they? With a frown, Sora found himself in the local park watching kids play as their parents watched from the side.

"Hey Sora." Naruto called flopping down next to him with a tired grin. "Long time no see."

"Where were you guys?" Sora demanded as Haku sat on the otherside of him. "I've looked everywhere for you."

"Oh, we were moving." Naruto said yawning.  
"You're moving?" Sora asked feeling a pang in his heart at losing his new friends.

"Yeah, but not far."  
"We're moving buildings." Haku explained. "The one we were in is going to be rented out."

"Your landlord kicked you out!" Sora yelled shocked.

"Landlord?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "We don't have a landlord."

"Then how were you living there?" Sora asked confused.

"We broke in." Haku said and grinned at Sora's shock. "We do it every two weeks or so."

"Yeah, we can't stay in one for long because they always get rented. We used to live in that house by the library but then someone bought it and we had to go. It was a nice place to live."

"What about your parents?" Sora asked.  
"Orphans." Naruto shrugged boredly. "It's just me and Haku."

"Really?"

"Yes." Haku smiled at Sora. "We don't have a place. We live on the streets."

"But, what about all the quarters and the food you guys buy?"

"We do odd jobs." Naruto explained. "Under the table kind of things. We work for a few hours, they pay us or they give us food as payment. I like working for the noodle man. He's pretty cool and he gives us free noodles all the time."

"So where are you guys living now?"

"Um, well it's not that far from here." Haku said, "You want to go see?"

"Yeah, I guess." Sora stood up and followed them. How could he have been so wrong about these two? He assumed they had it all but in fact they had less then he did. He felt like crap for all the things he had told Naruto, all the insults and the cruel remarks. How could Naruto smile like this if he was a street urchin? How could Haku be so nice if he had to work for food?

"Here we are." Naruto stood proudly beside an old brick building. Before Sora could say anything, Naruto and Haku lead him around the back and to the alley. Both teens looked around as Haku reached up and grabbed the ladder, pulling it down to their level. Naruto went first and lead them two flights up before he jiggled a window and popped it open. "Home sweet home." Naruto grinned. "What do you think?"

Sora looked around and spotted two old army bags and two sleeping bags in the small living room, and on the counter in the kitchen was another bag with left over food.

"It has one bathroom and one room, but the room stinks real bad and the bathroom doesn't really work." Naruto explained.

"So where do you go?"

"There's another one down the hall for the janitor to use." Haku said. "He never goes into any apartment unless asked by the manager of the building or by one of the people renting."

"You hungry?" Naruto asked going to the bag on the counter. "We have noodles, a few pizza slices, and I think that's some kind of pasta."

Shaking his head at Naruto's question, Sora moved to sit beside Haku against a wall. "I'm sorry." He whispered as Naruto grabbed some noodles for himself and began to eat like a starving child.

"For what?" Haku asked confused.

"This." Sora whispered, wanting to cry for his two friends.

"Don't be." Haku smiled and patted his arm. "We're not. We get by just fine and we don't have to worry about bills or anything."

"But you're living off the streets!"

"Not really. We have a roof over our head and food."

"But-"

"Sora, it's okay. You don't have to apologies for something that's not your fault. Naruto and I have been like this for a while and this is what we know." Haku explained. "So you want to stay over?"

"Yeah!" Naruto said coming over to them with his noodles. "It's be like guys night or something!"

"I-"

"Please?" Haku asked him.  
"Okay."

S N

A few weeks later, Sora was helping his new found friends find another place to stay. He would have offered his apartment but it wasn't big enough and though Naruto wasn't that much younger them him, Sora saw him as the kid brother and didn't want to put Naruto in a place that could do him more harm then good. Besides he was good with Haku. Haku was like a mom to them as he bossed them around and set the rules.

"Lets live in the wilderness." Naruto said watching the lake move quietly with the breeze. "We can be cave men."

"Naruto, you're already a cave man." Sora joked and laughed as Naruto turned to yell at him.

"Look at that." Haku said suddenly and took off. Following their leader, Naruto and Sora gasped in awe at the building in front of them.

"It's perfect." Naruto decided. "Can we live here?"

"It's falling apart." Sora argued.

"We can fix it."

"With what money?"  
"Haku, tell him we can. I want to live here." Naruto pouted as he went closer.

"Don't go in." Haku warned.

"But-"  
"No Naruto."

"Can we live here?"  
"It could kill us."

"We could fix it and when we do, we don't have to move anymore." Naruto said quickly. "It could be our home."

"I..." Haku bit his lip as he thought about this.

"You can't be serious." Sora said in shock. "It's like a deathtrap waiting to happen."

"Hmmm."

"Haku, come on-"

"Okay." Haku decided. "But we need a place to stay in the mean time."

"YES!" Naruto screamed in joy as he ran around and ignored Sora's warnings of death.

A while later, Naruto found another abandon building and he and Haku moved in. Haku set about figuring the cost of the remodel and Sora decided he didn't want Naruto to be braver then him so entered the house with the blonde.

Every night that he went home, Raidou would nod but otherwise not ask about where he was or what he was doing. Sora wasn't sure if he should be happy about that or not.

Sometimes he'd sneak what money he could from Raidou's wallet so that he could buy food and water for his friends. Most times he turned the dollars into quarters and played at the arcade with Naruto as they tried to get pass level ten on the game that first killed Sora.

Over all, even if his father wasn't coming home, Sora was happy.

S N

"So Sora turned into a great guy that fell in love with life." Naruto finished with a grin.

"What about his motto?" Kisame asked.

"Play until you die." Naruto chuckled. "We overplayed that arcade game and one day it stopped working. They blamed us but Sora and I denied it and will continue to deny it until the end of time."

"What happened to Sora's dad?" Kiba asked.

"Sora was right all along. His dad didn't come home. He died a few years later when his camp was ambushed. Raidou was put in rehab by Orochimaru, and threatened by Anko years later when he wouldn't stay in rehab no matter what Orochimaru did. Needless to say, Raidou is now drug free and a counsler for addicts."

"What about Sora?" Sasuke asked.  
"Sora went on to make video games. I'm sure you played some of his, I hear they're quite popular. He makes them under a pin name. Don't know why."

"So can we hear another story?" Neji asked already knowing the answer.

"Not today. Maybe some other day. Right now this old body of mine needs to sleep." Naruto grinned. "You guys get home safe and try not to fight on your way home."

"Fine." Kiba said as he sent a glare to Hidan. "I'm not riding with him though."

Naruto laughed and said goodbye to them. He sat outside until their cars disappeared and then he smiled. "I wonder if Sora ever rebuilt that game of ours?" with a thoughtful look, Naruto went inside and headed up to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**11**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

Naruto dipped the brush again and brought it up to the wall. For some reason he felt the need to repaint the house and so decided with the sitting room. Instead of the faded blue that it once was, Naruto decided to paint it a light purple.

Ino had always wanted to paint one of these rooms purple but since she was the only girl in their group of guys, she had always got the veto. No one wanted such a girly painted room. Even Haku, who was okay with many things, had shook his head and just as loudly declared a 'NO!'

For days Ino had begged, cried, threatened, and glared but in the end, she never got her way. The rooms were always painted in 'manly colors' as Sora called them. One had even been painted orange, which had set Ino off, and it took Haku and Kabuto trying to calm her down for five days before she would stop beating on Naruto and Sora. The orange wall didn't last more then a week. Most of the paint didn't last more then a month.

Naruto grinned at the memory of Orochimaru yelling his head off because of all the money he had to keep spending on paint, and yet he never told them no. He'd grumble and lecture but he always pulled out his wallet and handed over the money.

Looking around at the barely painted wall, Naruto saw into his memories. Ino pouting in the corner as she grudging painted a _very_ small piece of the wall. She would never paint more then that one spot.

He saw Kabuto painstakenly making sure that everything was perfect. He had to always get the lines evenly and would curse out Sora for making him jump and mess up.

He saw Sora on the otherside of the room, covered in paint and rushing to get his wall done first. Naruto chuckled as he remembered how he and Sora always tried to get done first but in the end they'd have to redo it again because they missed so many pieces.

He saw Kimimaro on a ladder painting the roof. Never saying a word or acknowledging the others in the room. Naruto remembered one of the times that he, Sora, and Ino had tried to break his concentration and get him to talk. No matter what they did, he never looked down or changed his expression. Just kept working.

He saw Haku painting near Kabuto. For some reason those two had always worked side by side when painting. Haku was neat in his painting but he wasn't as obsessed as Kabuto. He painted and had fun while he teased Kabuto.

He saw Sai painting near Ino. Every wall that he painted was never fully painted at first. Sai painted his way. The wall was his paper and he was going to paint whatever he wanted. Sora, always one to annoy, had to go and paint over it just as Sai put his brush down. A fight would start and Naruto would cheer them on. Only when Haku voiced his third warning to stop would Kimimaro calmly get down and hit them both on the back of the head as he went on to curse their stupidness.

In his mind he saw the many times they had repainted this room until they all had grown up. Slowly Naruto lost his smile as his memories showed them all laughing, their sound fading away. The room slowly emptied of their presence. "It was for them." he whispered to himself as he sadly turned toward the wall and began painting again.

"NARUTO!" Kiba shouted as the door opened with a bang. "WE'RE HERE!"

"I'm sure he knows that idiot." He heard Sasuke say and then a smack was heard followed by a yelp from Kiba.

"Naruto?" Gaara called as footsteps were heard.

"Over here." Naruto answered as he turned and smiled at his new found friends.

"What are you doing?" Neji asked looking at the sheet covered furniture and the bare walls.

"Painting the walls." Naruto grinned turning to lift the brush again.

"Purple?" Kiba said with what sounded like disgust.

"Why are you painting it purple?" He heard Itachi asked.

Looking back over his shoulder, Naruto chuckled as the rest filed in. When everyone else was in Naruto saw Neji, Sasuke, Kiba, Gaara, Itachi, Deidara, Kisame, Hidan, and Pain. Who he didn't recoginize was the girl standing in the middle of them all.

"Because the walls have never been painted purple." Naruto answered turning back to the wall.

"It's such a girl color." Kiba smirked and then yelped again as the girl punched him in the head. "Sakura!" he whined.

"It is a nice color!"

"It's too girly! This is a guy hangout place!" Kiba argued back.

"Purple is perfect! And you are such a caveman!" Sakura shouted back.

At this Naruto broke out laughing. Ino's fights coming back full force. "That's what Ino said." he grinned at their confusion. "Who is your friend?"

"I'm Sakura, their only feminine touch... Well not Itachi and theirs but these four idiots." Sakura said pointing toward the younger four.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Naruto grinned. "I'm Naruto."

"He's completely cool." Kiba nodded, "Just his paint color is..."

"Kiba..." Sakura warned. When Kiba shut up, she turned to Naruto. "Can I choose a paint color?" she asked hopefully.

"Not even here a day and already she demands stuff." Hidan smirked.

"Why not, the walls need new life anyway." Naruto answered. "Choose which ever room you want, and any color you want."

"Really? So I can do the kitchen pink?" she asked excitedly. "My dad won't let my mom paint our kitchen pink... or any of the walls for that matter. Can I really?"

"Sure." Naruto shrugged and tried not to laugh at the look of distaste on the guys faces. "Ino would have loved you."

"Who's Ino?"

"Ino is one of his awesome friends that we are hearing about." Kiba said as he dug inside a box filled with paintbrushes and moved to Naruto's side. "Might as well, that way we can move onto the room filled with all that stuff. It's so going red!"

"That works for me." Naruto said. Dipping the brush again, he brought it back up and smiled quietly at the sound of the others getting paint brushes while the last three paint buckets were opened to share amonst them. They each called a room that they were going to paint and dared anyone to say no.

"What was Ino like?" Sakura asked as she stood to the left of Naruto, the cane being the only thing that separated them.

"She was a princess." Naruto chuckled. "She was royalty even if she had no title behind her name."

"Naruto dated her." Kiba added.

"For a time I did." Naruto nodded. "But it took me a while to get her to date me."

"How come?" Sakura asked. Naruto was cute, she would have so dated him if he asked her.

"Same reason you probably don't date any of these four." He gestured to Sasuke and the other three. "We were friends and she found me more of a headache then anything else." he chuckled.

"Really?" Sakura laughed along with him as he described the exact reason why she never looked at her friends that way. That and they were more like her brothers then anything else, it would be weird. She had grown up with all of them but Gaara, and she loved them all like brothers.

"Does this mean another story?" Deidara asked hopefully.

"Sure." Naruto nodded as he brought the brush up and down along the wall. "I guess it's Ino's turn. Let's see... Ino was from a good family and she had the attitude of a rich person. Everything was beneath her and the only one tolorable was Kabuto because he came from a family of money. Soon after Haku followed and well, Ino learned that people without money were also human..."


	12. Chapter 12

**12**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

"No daddy, I don't want that one. It's gross." Ino glared down at the car her dad wanted to get her for her sweet sixteen. She was not showing up in a ford mustang. She wanted a Saleen and she would get a Saleen.

"Ino, honey-"

"No daddy. I don't care if it's the newest most expensive car. I want a Saleen, perferably that yellow one I showed you at the other dealership. And if I don't get it, I will not show up to my own party."

"Ino-" her mother sighed.

"Will you do this to your only child?" Ino questioned angrily. "Get me the Saleen!"

"Very well." her father sighed this time as he ushered them all to the waiting limo. Telling the driver to go back to the other dealership, he sat back and opened the files on the seat beside him.

Sitting acrossed from him, Ino and her mother were going over the last minute details of the party that would be happening in a week. She had so much to do. First she had to get her hair cut and styled, then she had to get a tan and find the third most perfect dress. She would not be seen wearing the same one all night. She needed to find a matching pair of shoes and go back to the jewelry store to order earings, a necklace, and a braclet that would match it.

Why was her life so hectic? Why couldn't everything be simple? Was she doomed to live everyday fighting and arguing to get things done the right way? Hello, how hard was it for the stupid baker to make a four tier cake in shades of purple and blue? Not to mention get the design right. So what if she changed it four times, they should still stop screwing up. Then the whole place of the party was wrong. She was not having it in a hotel ballroom, that was as bad as a barn. She wanted it at her father's country club. Even if that place didn't want to host a teenager's party, Ino had ordered her dad to pay them more money, which he said he would do.

"How will you wear your hair?" her mother asked looking through a magazine. "This way looks-"

"That screams boring and simple. I am not wearing it like that." Ino stated calmly. "I want it up but flowing around me. It'll make the crown look better." which reminded her, she needed another one. Adding that to her mental check list, she sighed. This was too much stress on a teenage girl. "Daddy did you get the chef I wanted?"

"Yes Ino," her father said, not bothering to look up from the file in his hands. "As well as the artist you wished to sing for you."

"Good. My party is going to make all others look simple and boring."

"Ino, simple and boring aren't always bad." her father sighed.

"Daddy! Simple is as bad as they come!" Ino gasped in outrage. "I will not fall so low."

"Don't worry dear, your father was joking. Oh look, there's the car."  
S N

Ino frowned from her spot on the only chair in the room as she looked at the dress the store clerk was holding out. It was pale blue with a white ribbon around the waist. It fell just passed her knees but would fly around her if she twirled. There was no shoulders since it was strapless. "No."

"Very well," the woman said and put it back on the rack. "What of this one?" she asked pulling out a dove grey dress with long sleeves and a long skirt.

"Do I look like a nun?" Ino crossed her arms and recrossed her legs.

"My apologies." the woman bowed. "Perh-"

"Look your dresses aren't meeting my standards. Clearly you don't have what I want here." with that Ino picked up her purse and stalked out. The nerv of some people. Trying to sell ugly garments at high prices.

Walking down the sidewalk, she frowned in thought. Where was she going to find the third dress? She had been to four stores, all of which had nothing she wanted. She had even visited the fashion place of the world and hated everything she saw.

What dress would make her night perfect? Moving around the corner of a disgusting arcade, Ino gasped in shock as someone ran into her.

"Sorry, I didn..." when the teen made no move to say more, Ino turned her glare on him and his friend. Both of them watching her with a look she knew all too well. Though she'd admit they were cute, they were not of her class.

"You should be. Animals have better manners then you."

"Hey!" the one that ran into shouted. "I said sorry."

"Sorry does not cover this dress if you ruined it. It's worth more then your lives." Ino glared.

"Probably," the other grinned, flushing. "Come on Sora, Haku said we were going to see that movie that just came out." without another word both were gone from her sight, and hopefully her life.

S N  
It was two days later, with still no dress, that found Ino on the otherside of town. Her friend, Kin, who was more like her most devoted fan, followed right behind her. "There is nothing here. I hate it all."

"Ino, surely-"

"Kin I am not done talking." Ino cut her off. "I need a dress that would be remembered as my end of the night dress. A dress that will scream for people to wish to replicate and knowing they can't. I want a dress that demands and makes up for all of the time I put into finding it."

"Why not design it?" Kin asked.  
"If I knew what exactly I wanted, I would. But since I do not, and since no one has yet do draw it for me, that isn't an option."

"Oh," Kin nodded. "Oh look, aren't those beautiful?"

"What?" Ino asked looking in the direction Kin was. "Hmmmm." deciding they were worth her time, Ino moved acrossed the street to look at the paintings and drawings on display.

"Sai, this is boring and that's something coming from me." a teen said from the side of the display.

"Kabuto, just a few more hours."

"Why are we selling these? It's not like you need the money, Sai." Kabuto said.  
"True, but it's always nice to make your own and not live off another." Sai grinned. Spotting Ino, he said, "Care to buy one?"

"You did these?" Ino asked him as she looked at the painting of an angel with blonde hair and beautiful wings. There was no details on the face, just the outline as the angel looked up, the arm of the angel reaching for the light above it. It was innocent, perfect, and alone. It looked like it was stuck in the stormy background, fighting everything around it to break free of the hazardous clouds.

"Yes," the one called Sai nodded.

"They're beautiful," Kin smiled in awe. "These should be framed and put in mu-"

"I'll take that one," Ino said pointing to the angel that captured her in a way nothing had before.

"Cool," Sai grinned, taking it gently and carefully off the side of the store wall and rolled it up. "Twenty bucks."

"Here," Ino said taking the painting and handing over the money. "Let's go Kin."

"But Ino I want-"

"Now." Taking a few steps away, Ino stopped and turned back to Sai, "Do you draw pictures of dresses?"

"No," Sai answered with a look of distaste. "Dresses are far to simple to worry over. They are ugly things that woman hide behind because someone calls them beautiful."

"Sai, be nice." the other teen reminded him.

"Whatever." Ino glared, turning her gaze to the teen still sitting down and then taking a double look. "You're Kabuto right? Doctor Orochimaru's son?"

"Yeah, why?" Kabuto frowned.

"I'm Ino, daughter of Inochi Yamanaka, the man that runs the Yaman-"

"Hotels I know," Kabuto nodded boredly. "I've stayed in a few of them."

"Hmmm," Ino said trying to curb her annoyance. Kabuto's father was just as rich as her own family. He was a man that all wanted to know and become. If she could get Kabuto to come to her party, her Father would be extreamly happy. Another amazing connection, created by her, and he'd certainly give her the beach house she had been wanting along with the spa trip without her mother there. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to go to my party this weekened?"

"You invite strangers to parties?" Sai asked in surprise. "What kind of party?"

"A sweet sixteen." Ino answered.

"Only if my friends can go." Kabuto said.

Ino thought about if for a second. Surely someone with Kabuto's family name had friends worthy of knowing. Perhaps he was only selling paintings here as a; punishment, or b; volunteering. "Alright. Just go to Sunray Manor. Here's the details." she said as she pulled out a sheet of paper and wrote down the day, address, and time. "See you there."

"Sure." Kabuto nodded as she left.

"Ino I can't believe we met Doctor Or-"

"I know Kin, now lets go find my dress."

S N

"Daddy, I do not want those on the tables." Ino gasped in shock at the pale blue and purple table cloths.  
"What's wrong with them-"

"They are the wrong ones!" Ino glared. It was a day until her party and already things were going wrong. "Look at them!"

"Ino-"

"Daddy, I asked for baby blue and a pastel purple. Not that!"

"Ino that-"

"People are going to see this!"

"I'll take care of it dear." her mother said as she glared at her father. "Inochi I can't believe you let them place these on the tables!"

"I thought they were the right ones." Inochi stated with annoyance.

"They aren't." Ino hissed as she ordered the workers to remove them all. "Now fix it."

"Very well." Inochi sighed as he pulled out his phone.

"Ino, darling," her mother said gently, trying to sooth the blonde. "Why don't you take a walk outside in the sunshine. It'll relax you."

"Of course. I can't deal with this right now." Ino hissed as she ran her hands soothingly through her hair and down her dress. Moving outside to let her mother deal with the idiots inside, Ino moved to walk along the edge of the tennis court. Crossing her arms, she glared at anything and everything that appeared before her. Everything would be fine, she thought to herself, you found your last outfit yesterday and mother is fixing everything else.

"Check me out!" Someone shouted from the otherside of the low brick wall she was walking by. How did she get here?

Turning toward the voice, Ino only had enough time to gasp in shock as the water came right at her. Screeching in anger, she looked down at her drenched dress. Her hair was ruined and her make up had to have been in the same state. Turning a glaring look at the three boys in the pool, she hissed. "You idiot! Look what you did! My hair is ruined! My dress was-"

"Worth more then our lives?" a boy asked as he stopped on the otherside of the wall with a raven and another teen with white hair. "So it is."

"You!"

"Us!" both boys grinned.  
"I'm Sora, that's Naruto. And this quiet man beast is Kimimaro." Sora grinned.

"How did you get in here? This place doesn't let street rats in." Ino glowered.

"Sora, I was wondering why you had a tail. Now I know." Naruto gasped in shock.

"And your ears. They always did look funny to me." Sora answered in kind.

"I am calling security to kick you out of this place. You will never be allowed to enter this-"

"And miss the party tomorrow?" Naruto asked. "Nah, kick us out after it."

"You are not invited to my party!" Ino yelled.

"Yeah we are. Kab said so. Said you invited him yourself. If I'd know it was you that was hosting the party, I would have made other plans." Sora said.

"Well _Kab_ is an idiot because neither of you are coming. And if you show up, so help me, both of you will be arrested for tre-"

"Insult my friend again, and you'll regret it." Kimimaro glared angrily. And that was when Ino realized how big he was. He could break her in half with his pinky toe. He looked like he belonged in prison!  
"E-excuse me?" she got out faintly, trying to regained the ground she lost. Instead of answering, Kimimaro just upped his glare.

"What the heck!" Sora shouted, "She calls us street rats and it's okay, but she insults Kab and it's not? You are one mean dude!"

"Hmph." Kimimaro remarked with a bored look toward Sora. "I'm sure you can handle yourself."

"You know you are really pretty." Naruto said, cutting off Sora before he could open his mouth. "Care to go on a date with me? I know this pretty cool place by a lake-"

"Ha, you are trash, Naruto. Now me, I am gold." Sora smirked as he turned to Ino. "So about the date-"

"You're an idiot. She doesn't even like you. Hello, her dress is worth more then your life." Naruto glared at the raven.  
"I'm sure it was you she was comparing it too. I am priceless." Sora glared back.

"As if I'd ever be seen with either of you." Ino hissed as the two began to argue.  
"Well you kind of our."

"What?"

"You're right here and so are we. And that lady looks like she's going to have a heart attack." Naruto pointed.

"How do girls run in heels?" Sora asked

"Mother!" Ino gasped in shock as her mother came over to them. "Look at what they did to me!"

"Ino! How dare you animals attack my daughter!"

"I dived off the diving board-" Naruto began.

"Security! Remove these two-"

"No need to do that lady. Geeeeees if you want us out say so." Sora grumbled. "Come on Naruto, let's go. We promised Haku that we wouldn't let Kimimaro beat up cops and stuff."

"I don't need a babysitter." Kimimaro growled, following the two.

"See you tomorrow Ino." Naruto called out.  
"YOU ARE NOT INVITED!"

S N

"How do I look?" Ino asked as she fixed and messed with her pearl white gown, the first of the night, and turned from side to side in the mirror.

"Lovely." Kin smiled.

"Amazing." Ino corrected. "I wonder what everyone will say? Probably 'Oh my god! She's beautiful!', or 'I wish I was her.' What do you think Kin?"

"I think..." Kin frowned as she looked in the mirror.

"What? Spit it out already. You know how I hate when you do that-"

"Ino, I don't want to be your friend anymore." Kin said.

"Excuse me?" Ino blinked, turning to look at Kin.

"I said, I don't want to be your friend anymore. You're mean and cruel. You treat me like a dog and I don't wish to know you."

"Fine." Ino shrugged. "As if anyone cares what you think."

"You're right they don't." Kin smiled as she reached for her punch. "So I'm sure they also don't mind what I do either."

"Of cour-AHHHH!" Ino screamed as the punch drizzled down her dress. The red staining the front of her gown.

"Whoops." Kin gasped in fake shock. "I'm such a idiot."

"Why!" Ino demanded angrily and somewhat teary-eyed.

"Because I hate you. I've always hated you and the only reason I let you treat me as you did was because I wanted to be popular. You are the most popular girl in the world. Everyone knows you. But then I realized that I rather be a nobody with nothing then a somebody that you abuse." Kin answered. "I'm only doing what everyone wishes they could do."

"What?"

"Don't you get it? No one likes you. They pretend simply because you have what they want. You have no friends. Everyone would stab you in the back the second they could."

"Why now? Why not-"

"Later?" Kin cut off Ino, smirking as the tears rained down Ino's cheek. "What better place to put you down then on the day you think you should be cherished? This is my birthday gift to you."

"You'll pay for this!" Ino shouted at Kin as the girl moved to leave the room.

"I already did and whatever else you can throw at me...well bring it."

When Kin was gone, Ino looked once more at her dress in tears. "I have two other ones." she gasped between tears. Moving toward the bags hanging on the wall, Ino opened the first one and stilled. Her second gown was ripped to ribbons. Quickly moving to the last gown, Ino fell to the floor and cried into her hands. The gown was in tact, but the words on it were words no girl should have ever seen. They were cruel and hateful. They were words that made one wish to die because of them. Ino had never felt that way. She had never been on this side of any attack. No one did this to her.

"I think it's in here- Whoops wrong room- Ino?" she heard someone say. Looking up she saw Naruto and another raven haired boy beside him. "What's wrong?" The blonde asked.

"Nothing, everything is perfect!" Ino shouted as she wiped at her eyes. "Go away!"

"But-"  
"Leave me alone! I don't want you here! You don't belong here!"

"Wow, what happened to these?" Naruto said instead as he caught sight of the gowns. "Who did this? I'll take-"

"Go away!" Ino screamed again, moving quickly to her feet. For unknown reasons, even to herself, Ino found her hand slapping the blonde acrossed the face.

"Okay." Naruto said quietly. "I'll..." without saying more, he lowered his head and left.

"That was uncalled for." the raven teen glared.

"Go-"

"If you slap me, I will hit you back. I'm not afraid to hit a girl." the boy said evenly. "Though I do not approve of violence, I will use it if I must."

"Look why don't you and your stupid friend just leave. The party is over." Ino stated, pacing away from the teen as more tears fell.

"I know your type." The boy said softly. "I know that with you and your kind, money is all that matters."

"You-"

"I know that the more you have, the more popular you are. I know that you will walk on people, treat them in ways no one should be treated. I know that you can be, forgive my language, a bitch," Ignoring Ino's gasp, the boy went on, "And I know that even when you are one, will probably always be one, you still don't deserve whatever someone did to you. They are no better then you for doing such a thing to you. Those words on that gown...I'm sorry for that. The one that did that thinks she or he has the upperhand but they don't. Do you wish to know why?"

"Why?" Ino whispered as she dabbed at her eyes with a cloth.

"Because they did what was done to them. They became the monster in the end. They may think they won, but they didn't. This little nonexistant game, that none but the rich know of, is never ending. Not unless you pull away from it."

"What are you talking about?" Ino asked the raven.  
"Simply put, don't let hers or his actions hurt you. Push passed this and move on. Don't hold a grudge. Don't get revenge. Don't make this go back and forth. You'll only hurt yourself in the end. Just let it go and start over."

"But-"

"If you hurt them back, you become the monster. The title switches back and forth between players." the teen said as he turned to leave. "I'm going to find Naruto and the others and we'll leave. Since your party is over, you are welcome to join us in ours. It's by the lake. There'll be lots of junk food."

"Why would you invite me?" Ino asked.

"Because, I'm not rich." the teen grinned as he walked out. "Hope to see you there."

X~x~X

"Ino never came to our own party. But she did show up one day a few months later. It took her a while to get used to us and over the shock of Kabuto being our friend and stuff. Kimimaro scared the daylights out of her for a long time to come, but then she saw he was a teddy bear, who ate like a pig. After the first few times of coming here, she decided it needed to be changed and because we wouldn't let her change the inside with girly stuff, she planted flowers outside. Sora and I, of course, tried to get her to go out with us. Eventually she chose me. I'm not sure why, but I was happy with her choice." Naruto smiled softly as he put the paintbrush down and looked at the wall. Ino would have loved it.

"What did Ino become?" Kiba asked.

"She opened shelters all over the world. The Lake House Shelters." at their surprised looks he grinned, everyone knew about The Lake House Shelters. "She turned a new leaf completely. 'Rich people have feelings too', that's what she always said whenever she did something nice and we looked at her in shock." Naruto chuckled as he turned to look at everyone watching him. The walls long forgotten. Seems he was the only one painting throughout the story.

"Did she apologies for slapping you?" Sakura asked.

"No," Naruto laughed, "She said I probably deserved it for whatever bad thing I did in any portion of my life. Of course she then continued to smack Sora and I on the head because she said it was our punishment for the stupid things we did in life. One slap a day." Shaking his head, he said, "Ino was a beautiful person to know."

"What about Kin?" Itachi questioned. "What happened to her?"

"Kin became the next Ino, well the past Ino. When Ino pretty much gave up her place as the unrenoucned princess, Kin quickly took it. She became a bitter person. Last I knew she locked herself in her mansion and refuses to come out. She played the game that Haku always had to remind Ino to let go of." Naruto sighed.

"Naruto, why aren't they here no-" Sakura began only to stop when a phone began ringing.

"Excuse me." Naruto said and made his way toward the phone. Never in his life had he been so grateful for anyone calling. He didn't want to answer Sakura's question. It hurt to think about the answer.


	13. Chapter 13

**13**

**Look toward profile/bio for disclaimer and anything else involving this story. **

"I'm so bored!" Kiba groaned as he layed flat on the floor in Sasuke's yard. To his right Gaara sat plucking grass blades one at a time. Next to him, Sakura was blowing bubbles all over Neji who couldn't even find the energy to glare at her or ask her to stop. Sasuke was tossing a basketball into the air, looking as if he rather be somewhere else. "Very bored!" he said a little louder.

"We heard you," Sasuke answered, wanting to throw the ball at Kiba's head. They were all bored, had been for the last three days. They hadn't been able to go see Naruto because the older man had said he'd be gone for a week. The only thing that made him feel better was thinking that in four more days Naruto would be back to tell them more stories. The summer was almost over, and Sasuke really wanted to learn about Haku's and Naruto's history.

"Where'd Itachi go?" Sakura asked, dipping the wand into the bubble solution.

"Basketball practice started up already. All Varsity players have to go so he and his friends are all there." Sasuke answered, bored enough to wish his brother was here.

"Are you joining basketball?" Gaara asked.

"No," Sasuke shook his head, "I'm tired of being compared to Itachi when I do things he did. I'm going out for soccer and maybe baseball."

"I wanna do football." Kiba said. "But my mom told me no. She said I don't have time because of the clinic."

"I wouldn't mind doing basketball, but I don't really want to be near your brother twenty-four seven." Gaara said.

"My dad's making me join tennis and a bunch of clubs." Neji said with a grimace.

"You're lucky," Sakura answered. "I have to be in ballet, and my mom is making me try out for cheerleading when they have try-outs in two weeks. She also wants me on the dance team."

"Sucks to be you." Kiba laughed, getting bubbles blown in his face. "Man I wish Naruto was here. He'd probably tell us about Haku or his own childhood."

"I would like to hear more about Ino." Sakura said, putting the bubbles away. "I want to see how she turned a new leaf and how she decided to go out with Naruto. I bet it was romantic."

"You are such a girl." Kiba rolled his eyes. "I'd like to hear more about Sora. I bet he and Naruto had pranks that are probably legendary."

"Kimimaro was by far the best story." Gaara said, feeling as if he had a connection to Kimimaro.

"I can't believe Naruto told you Kimimaro's story first." Kiba pouted.

"It doesn't matter, he told us too." Neji said.

"Sai was interesting too and so was Kabuto." Sasuke said, getting back on topic. "You know something? I wanna know what happened to all of them."

"That's it!" Kiba jumped up, making them all jump in surprise. "Let's find out what happened to all of them! We can look them up-"

"Naruto never told us their last names." Neji said. "It'll be almost impossible to find them by their first names alone. And even if we did, what's to say they'd want to talk to us? They are all out of Naruto's life for a reason."

"Maybe they got into a fight?" Gaara tossed out, though from what he knew of Naruto, he knew that was completely ludacris.

"Lake House Shelters." Sakura said suddenly.

"What?" all four boys said in confusion.

"Naruto said that Ino opened the Lake House Shelters. The main shelter is here in town. Ino could be there. We could send her a letter and maybe she'll bring everyone else." Sakura said excitedly. "My mom drives passed the building all the time, I know where it's at. I can drop the letter off."

"Why not just go see her in person?" Kiba asked.

"Because I highly doubt we'd get passed the front door if we ask to see Ino. If we send a letter, Ino would have to respond.

"It's worth a shot." Sasuke shrugged, tossing the ball toward the house. "Come on, I think I might have an envelop."

S N

"Okay, what do we say?" Sakura asked as she sat at the desk and the other four stood around her. "As far as I got is 'Dear Ino'."

"Um, how about; you don't know us but we know you?" Kiba offered.

"That sounds so stalkerish." Neji snorted.

"We'll you try!" Kiba pouted.

"I will. Move Sakura." Neji said and took her pace. After ten minutes, he put the pen down and showed them the letter. "Now tell me she won't want to come back in contact with Naruto." he declared with a smirk as the others nodded over what he wrote.

"What if she thinks this is a joke?" Kiba asked as Neji folded the letter and gave it to Sasuke to put in the envelope.

"Why would she? We told her who we were and that Naruto has been telling us stories of his friends. We told her that he seemed lonely and asked if she could get in contact with the others to surprise him." Sasuke said.

"Maybe if Naruto saw all his friends, he'd get better." Gaara said.

"I wish I knew what was wrong with him." Kiba said softly. "I was talking to my mom, because she's a vet and all, and the closet thing to a doctor I know. I was asking her about diseases and even looked some up but none of them matched up to Naruto. He had somethings in common but not everything. I don't think he has cancer."

"We'll maybe when he tells us his story we'll find out." Sakura smiled. "I'm going to go. I'll ride my bike by the building and drop this in the mailbox."

S N

"Hey Naruto!" Kiba grinned as they saw Naruto's car come into view. All five had come early to welcome him home. They had arrived bringing snacks and gifts and putting up a welcome home sign. Mostly because Sakura ordered them to do it. The guys felt stupid but the grin on Naruto's face made them glad they did.

"Hey guys," Naruto called out, getting out of the car slowly, using his cane to help him up. "What are you up to?"

"We missed you and wanted to welcome you home." Sakura said honestly as Naruto moved up the stairs and sat on the porch chair, the others moving to quickly sit in front of him. "I made cookies. I kind of burned them, but they still taste good." Sakura said offering him the bowl.

"Thank you." Naruto chuckled. Burnt was an understatment, the whole bottom of the cookie was black. "So what have you five been up too? Where's the others?"

"Itachi and his friends are practicing for basketball." Sasuke answered. "They're Varsity."

"We've been bored out of our minds." Kiba said before Naruto could answer. "A week of sitting around and doing nothing."

"I see that some yard work got done." Naruto laughed.

"Yeah, Sasuke worked with the flowers again." Kiba snickered, earning a glare from Sasuke and a punch in the arm.

"Well thank you all for that. I've never been welcomed home like this and I'm touched." Naruto said honestly. "I don't even know what to say or give you in return."

"Nothing, we just wanted to thank you for being our friend and for taking time out of your life to entertain teenagers. Not everybody would have accepted these idiots going through their house." Sakura said.

"My mom says she surprised by my manners. She said she has never seen me be so polite before." Kiba said. "She says to tell you thank you and she's surprised that you don't want to kill me yet." He finished on a laugh. "I hope you don't mind that I told her the stories you were telling us about."

"It's fine." Naruto laughed. "In fact, why don't we add another to the list?"

"Finally." Gaara said, making Naruto laugh again.

"Okay, we've covered Kabuto, Kimimaro, Sai, Sora, and Ino... how about Haku?" Naruto said softly, looking off into the distance. "Haku was like my brother. He always watched out for me and protected me. Even when he was afraid, he always thought of others. Haku's childhood wasn't one that should be had by anyone else. When Haku was a boy of three, he was found wondering around the streets..."

**A/N: might be my shortest chapter for this story but I couldn't figure out what to write. Anyway this one is almost done, maybe three more chapters or so. ^_^**


End file.
